Trucks will be banned from using Thames Boulevard and speed humps added to deter hoons in Tarneit following motions passed by Wyndham council on Tuesday night.
The two measures received unanimous support from councillors at the meeting on July 25, after both originated as petitions from concerned local residents.
The petition to ban trucks on Thames Boulevard was delivered on June 6, though council had already made a submission to the Department of Transport and Planning to ban heavy vehicles from the road after a formal assessment indicated it was being used as an alternative to existing roads.
Thames Boulevard connects Hogans Road in Tarneit to Tarneit Road in Werribee and runs through a residential area parallel to larger thoroughfares.
In introducing the motion, councillor Josh Gilligan said trucks were using Thames Boulevard as a ‘rat run through suburban streets’ while speaking in support, councillor Peter Maynard accused truck drivers of treating it ‘like a racetrack’.
Cr Maynard also criticised Vic Roads for not policing truck use on suburban streets and said it shouldn’t be up to council to address the issue.
The department has already given approved the ban and now with council’s support, it is set to be introduced early next month.
The proposal to introduce speed humps along Thomas Carr Drive in Tarneit came after residents complained of increased hoon activity in the area.
Surveys conducted along Thomas Carr Drive found a high proportion of vehicles travelling above the speed limit and recommended traffic calming measures such as speed cushions and humps.
Speed cushions were added in March, but despite receiving council approval, no date has been set for the addition of speed humps.
