Wednesday, 18 March 2026

 Anthony CIANFLONE (Pascoe Vale) (10:19): I rise again to make a further contribution on the Legislative Assembly Economy and Infrastructure Committee’s report on the inquiry into the impact of road safety behaviours on vulnerable road users. It is why I continue to draw the Minister for Roads and Road Safety’s and the Parliament’s attention – and the Minister for Public and Active Transport’s, who is in the chamber – to the 61 findings and 56 recommendations set out in the report to help make our local roads and streets safer. In this respect I draw the house’s attention to finding 33:

Accessible tram stops can act as a traffic calming measure and reduce the risk of pedestrians being struck by a motor vehicle when boarding or alighting a tram.

Recommendation 23:

The Department of Transport and Planning prioritise the delivery of accessible tram stops.

And recommendation 24:

The Department of Transport and Planning develop and implement mechanisms to detect, penalise and deter motorists driving past stopped trams when passengers are boarding and alighting.

At page 137 the report goes on to say:

The Committee received several submissions that voiced concerns about the conflict faced by pedestrians when drivers do not stop at tram stops as passengers are boarding or alighting trams. For example, one submission reported the following safety concern:

The prevalence of cars speeding past trams while their doors are open. I do not take a single daytime trip on the number 19 tram without seeing this happen. I’m legitimately in fear for my life stepping off the tram and always pop my head out to check if there is a car failing to give way. I’ve seen several people almost hit and I’ve even had people just slowly drive past trying to nudge me out of the way while I am in the middle of the road. My observations are that it’s a diverse selection of drivers …

Again, on page 137:

… accessible tram stops, which have raised platforms to give level access to wheelchairs –

and others with mobility issues and needs –

can act as a traffic calming measure.

A 2016 study of the impact of raised platforms at Melbourne tram stops on pedestrian safety found an 81 per cent reduction in crashes involving pedestrians and an 86 per cent reduction in crashes resulting in fatal or serious injuries for pedestrians. The Victorian government was working – and this is all in the report – towards making all tram stops accessible by 31 December 2022. However, this has not been achieved to date. A 2020 report by the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office stated that this target could not be realistically met with the current pipeline, and in 2023, 28 per cent of Melbourne’s tram stops were accessible. VAGO found it would take until 2066 to make all tram stops accessible at the pre-2020 rate of delivery. In September 2023 the Department of Transport and Planning stated that it had delivered 83 accessible tram stops and had a further 24 stops in delivery. Page 101 talks about:

Some submissions also called for cameras to be used on the tram network to detect vehicles that do not stop for passengers to board or alight trams at designated stops.

In this respect I urge the government to continue prioritising the role of accessible tram stops and accessible stops through key and strategic corridors and locations in close consultation throughout my community, including along route 58, Melville Road; route 6, Moreland Road; route 1, Nicholson Street; and in particular route 19 along Sydney Road. This is especially important as we work to provide new accessible tram stops along Sydney Road through Brunswick and Coburg.

Prior to the level crossing removal works commencing on the Upfield line through Brunswick, the Auditor-General identified in 2018–19 that North Coburg’s route 19 was found to provide for 71 per cent of low-floor tram departures but only 14 per cent of level-access stops. However, there are only two accessible tram stops along Sydney Road through Coburg and Brunswick. One is at the end of the line in North Coburg, Sydney Road at the top of Bakers Road, and the other is around the Brunswick Road–Park Street sort of precinct down in Brunswick. In this respect I draw the house’s attention to an email from a local constituent, Daniel, who lives in Central Coburg and the Pentridge precinct, which I think best encapsulates these issues and challenges. He said:

I live in the Pentridge precinct in Coburg just off Sydney Rd, within the Merri-bek Council.

I’ve read that the Upfield train line will be shut down for 3+ months in 2030 due to the LXRP train station upgrades in Brunswick.

I’m hugely supportive of this, as my local station in Coburg was similarly upgraded a few years ago – the new elevated Coburg station is incredible and fully wheelchair accessible.

My request is that you please plan to upgrade route 19 tram stops along Sydney Rd to be wheelchair accessible prior to 2030.

This way, wheelchair users like myself will still be able to get to the city while the Upfield train is shutdown for 3+ months.

Currently, the Upfield train line is the only wheelchair accessible form of PT that conveniently gets me to the city, where I study at RMIT. And overcrowded ‘accessible’ replacement busses are not always wheelchair accessible from my experience during previous LXRP train shutdowns.

Upgrading the tram stops would be useful and worth making accessible even without the train line shutdown. I, and any other person with accessibility needs, would be able to get a tram from Pentridge to Coburg market or Brunswick.

And the tram stop is only 100 metres away from my unit compared to the 900 metres for the train station (I’m sure you can appreciate 900 metres is a significant distance in a wheelchair).

An accessible tram line on Sydney Rd would make short trips within Merri-bek far more convenient, helping me engage within my local community a lot more, while the train will remain more ideal for medium-long trips …

Thank you for all your efforts in advancing public transport and accessibility in our area, particularly with the recent station upgrades in Coburg and Moreland. I look forward to hearing any further plans to make our tram network, particularly … accessible …