The CityLink tunnels have been off limits due to height restrictions but there has been considerable pressure to get the trucks out of the busy city streets.
Livestock and Rural Transporters Association of Victoria chief operating officer Alina Hawkins said they have been working closely with major bodies to get the trials off the ground.
“We have been working pretty extensively with the City of Melbourne and Transurban and the Department of Transport Planning,” Ms Hawkins said.
“We have a lot of thoroughfares through the city because a lot of the abattoirs and farms are on the other side of the city, so in order to get there, the only way that we were allowed to go was around Power St, under the Art Centre, over the Yarra and back around.”
The route cause problems for drivers and animals, with stopping and starting through the city causing potential for animal welfare issues, she said.
The tunnels trial began on January 1, and will go for exactly 12 months.
The reason for the closing of the tunnels to livestock trucks was due to low clearance, but infrastructure upgrades have made room for 4.65m vehicles.
“The trial comes with restrictions, so it’s not open slather for everyone, not everyone has access to the tunnel yet, but there is a good percentage of it,” Ms Hawkins said.
On top of the tunnels, there are flashing lights that activate if they detect an incoming vehicle over the limit.
“So if your vehicle for whatever reason is higher than that, those lights will go off and you have to divert,” she said.
“Rule number one, regardless of loaded, empty, whatever — blanket ban, if the lights go off, you have to divert.
“It might be a tree branch on top of the truck, mightn’t necessarily be an animal that's sticking its head up, but there might be another problem that the driver doesn't know about.”
Trucks without catwalks at the top and trucks transporting goats or animals over six foot are also banned in the current trial.
Three months into the trial, Ms Hawkins said it had been successful so far, but they will continue to review the processes and make changes where relevant.
“The City of Melbourne are very happy with getting those trucks off that inner-city network as well,” she said.
“A bit of an industry-changer for us because as a driver, the stress levels get extremely high when you’re in the volume of traffic in that part of the world.
“The trial’s only in its early days, so we will be having some reviews over that 12-month period to see what that compliance level looks like.”
A priority for Ms Hawkins and LRTAV is to ensure the safety of everyone involved with the livestock.
“We want drivers to make sure that they are compliant with those restrictions because they’re non-negotiable,” she said.
“We need to make sure of safety for not only for us but the animals and other road users so safety remains a priority for everyone all of the time.”
Overall, Ms Hawkins said the opening of the two tunnels to livestock transport is a positive.
“The trial marks a significant step forward in modernising livestock transport in metro areas, and as an industry we just need to be responsible and adhere to the rules to make sure that and other trials continue.”
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