Calls to reduce speed limits on Melbourne's freeways

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Transport experts are calling for speed limits to be cut on freeways in Melbourne's outer suburbs where traffic is dangerously congested. In Werribee, in the city's outer south-west, one freeway exit is so bad people say they've stopped using it.

Transcript

00:00 This is what it's like trying to get home in the afternoon peak in Werribee, 30km southwest

00:08 of Melbourne.

00:10 Cars are backed up in the emergency lane trying to get off the freeway.

00:14 The queue goes back more than a kilometre, while cars and trucks pass in the next lane.

00:20 It's just a disaster waiting to happen at any time really.

00:24 The car shakes.

00:25 It's frightening.

00:28 Last month, Rikki Hogan was stuck in this traffic when she came close to an accident.

00:33 A truck came roaring past and it was very close to swinging the trailer onto one of

00:39 the cars, which was very scary to see.

00:44 The reason the line is so long is population growth.

00:47 This is the last exit on Melbourne's outer fringe in the fastest growing area in Australia.

00:54 The state government is finalising planning for a potential upgrade of this intersection.

01:00 Locals want a roundabout to ease the traffic flow problems.

01:03 But for people stuck in this traffic day after day, it can't come soon enough.

01:10 Until then, experts say the speed limit here should be cut from 100km/h to 60km/h during

01:17 the afternoon peak, as well as at other dangerously congested roads across Melbourne's growth

01:23 corridors.

01:24 A reduced speed limit means crashes are less likely to happen.

01:27 It also means that when crashes do happen, they are much less severe.

01:33 But throttling freeway speeds wouldn't be popular with thousands of commuters who already

01:38 deal with congestion and roadworks.

01:40 In this situation, if we're going to fix the problem, we probably need to have a look at

01:45 the design and investment of the road infrastructure itself.

01:49 For now, plenty of locals have started working from home or taking long detours to avoid

01:55 the queue.

01:56 [BLANK_AUDIO]

Category

Transcript

Recommended