A driverless truck trial on Melbourne’s busiest freight routes appears to have been canned less than 24 hours after it was announced.
The six-month trial by Transurban has been halted amid concerns there was no public consultation and the move would leave freight routes in chaos.
The Transport Workers Union issued an emergency message to its members on Thursday afternoon announcing “the proposed driverless trucks trial tonight on the Monash Freeway has been cancelled”.
“Sneaky tactics, and lacking any community input, Transurban maliciously chose to squeeze this trial through in bad faith.”
Transurban’s previous automated truck trial in 2022 operated along CityLink and the Bolte Bridge. Picture: Supplied
Branch Secretary Mem Suleyman said: “Our freeways and roads are an important source of ensuring transportation is moved safely by professional drivers.
“We are a long way away from this type of untested technology and it doesn’t belong in Victoria particularly when they haven’t got it right in other parts of the world.”
“We welcome the decision this afternoon and overnight through the reopening of the Monash Freeway, Victorians will wake up to their petrol, groceries, medical supplies, freight and other essential supplies.”
A Transurban spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday: “The trial has launched and has been scheduled across the next six months. There won’t be on-road activity tonight while discussions continue with TWU.”
The Transurban spokesperson hit back at the accusations there was no consultation saying they had ample warning and that industry events had been held.
“The trial has been months in the making, including consultation with a wide cross-section of stakeholders and communication with our customers.
“There has also been briefings and industry events for stakeholders to learn more about how smart road technology can help keep our growing cities moving in the future.”
The Herald Sun revealed the six-month trial by Transurban would put to the test a pair of autopilot trucks which rely on smart road technology to navigate their own dedicated lanes travelling at night between 10pm and 5am.
Sources told the Herald Sun that industry, the public and Victorian government MPs were not consulted on the trial, which would have significant impact on freight for the state.
Transurban and the State Government have been contacted for comment.
The six-month trial was due to launch Thursday.
The first heavy duty vehicle was due to be tested along the M1 from the West Gate Fwy through to the Monash, including CityLink, before a second is added at a later date.
Each truck was set to travel at night between 10pm and 5am to avoid heavy congestion and will carry a specialist driver and engineer on board.
A pilot vehicle was also set to accompany the trucks during the initial stages.
Testing was due to operate between the Victoria International Container Terminal at the Port of Melbourne and Salta’s Nexus Dandenong South Industrial Estate.
A similar trial was undertaken by Transurban in late 2022 which ran for just three weeks.
It was the first time an automated truck – designed to operate without driver input – was tested in real traffic on a public freeway in Australia.
Autonomous driving software firm, Plus, signed on as a partner for the latest trial last August to help develop the technology, which can see traffic conditions up to 1km ahead.
Transurban’s general manager of strategy Tien-TiMak said the city was smart motorway technology plays a critical role to help cater to Melbourne’s rapid growth.
“We’re supporting Melbourne’s growth by looking at future transport technologies, such as autonomous trucking, and the benefits they can bring,” he said.
Specialist drivers were set to be on-board to ensure all safety measures were covered off. Picture: Transurban
“We’re excited to see different industries come together to support this trial. Transurban is combining our world-class infrastructure and road management expertise with Plus’s innovative technology and Iveco’s purpose-built trucks.
Together, we’re bringing the benefits of automated freight one step closer in a safe and controlled environment.”
Shawn Kerrigan, COO of Silicone Valley’s Plus, said the future of self-driving trucks was looking positive.
“We are still in the early stages of the journey to a future with self-driving trucks everywhere,
but it’s just a matter of when,” he said.
“We have already started seeing the positive impacts of improved safety, more efficient freight, less traffic congestion, and the creation of new jobs through our autonomous driving technology deployments in the U.S. and Europe.”