Melbourne Truck Bans Spark Anger in Container Sector

News of a weeknight and weekend ban on trucks using Williamstown Road in Melbourne when the West Gate Tunnel opens next month has drawn a mixed response from peak industry bodies.

The Victorian Transport Association (VTA) has endorsed the new heavy vehicle curfews announced at the weekend, highlighting that the West Gate Tunnel will deliver the dual benefits of improved liveability for inner-west residents and “enhanced efficiency” for freight operators.

But the Director of Container Transport Alliance Australia (CTAA), Neil Chambers, has come out swinging, saying the new bans will force more trucks on to corridors that won’t cope with the increased traffic.

Chambers said the CTAA and its alliance companies have worked with government for years to prepare for the No Truck Zones on the east-west routes in Melbourne’s inner-west because they “made sense to provide improved safety and amenity to the communities and residents”.

But Chambers said that support was predicated on the need for important north-south routes from the industrial precincts of Brooklyn, Tottenham and Sunshine to the West Gate Freeway (M1) to remain accessible and to be upgraded to accommodate an increase in freight movements.

Chambers said the container sector is now calling on the state government to immediately act on the upgrade recommendations it has been sitting on for over four years.

“Container transport operators feel very let down – victimised and demonised even,” Chambers said.

“This failure to act now leaves the freight industry facing delays, congestion and inadequate freight routes between the Port of Melbourne and industrial precincts in the inner west, despite all the efforts to create better access to the Port of Melbourne along the upgraded M1 corridor and West Gate Tunnel infrastructure.”

Chambers said the night and weekend truck bans on Williamstown Road will push heavy vehicles back to the Millers Road corridor and through the Transurban heavy vehicle tolling point east of Millers Road on the M1.

“CTAA is extremely concerned that the existing dilapidated road infrastructure and traffic-light sequencing will not cope.”

He said CTAA has already modelled that the heavy vehicle tolls on the M1 will increase container freight cartage costs by between 13 per cent to upwards of 30 per cent, depending on the freight task.

“These night and weekend truck bans on Williamstown Road will just add to these transport costs.

“You can’t keep squeezing the freight sector and not expect something to break.”

Under the new rules, once the West Gate Tunnel opens in December, Williamstown Road will become a ‘No-Truck Zone’ between Geelong Street in Seddon and the West Gate Freeway in Yarraville during the following times:

• Weekdays: 8pm to 6am
• Weekends: 8pm Friday to 6am Monday

Exemptions will apply for essential deliveries, and compliance will be monitored through smart roadside cameras.

VTA CEO Peter Anderson said the curfews represent a win-win for residents and freight operators alike.

“The West Gate Tunnel will provide a much more seamless and efficient alternative for heavy vehicles that require direct access to the Port of Melbourne,” Anderson said.

“This infrastructure investment means we can reduce truck movements on residential streets like Williamstown Road while ensuring freight operators have the capacity they need to keep Victoria moving.”

The VTA also highlighted the importance of planning for the future freight task, which is expected to double by 2050.

“To meet this growing demand, we need larger, more productive heavy vehicles operating on infrastructure that can handle them,” Anderson said.

“The West Gate Tunnel is a vital piece of that puzzle, ensuring Victoria’s supply chains remain efficient and competitive.”

Other residential thoroughfares in the inner west already have truck bans or curfews in place, or will have them introduced when the tunnel opens.

Melbourne’s truck bans have sparked frustration across the container transport sector, with operators warning of major disruptions to road freight. The restrictions are expected to slow deliveries, increase costs, and put added strain on already congested port operations.

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