Ministerial Statement: VICTORIA?S LEVEL CROSSING AUDIT ...

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From the Minister for Public Transport  Victoria

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

VICTORIA?S LEVEL CROSSING AUDIT SETS FOUNDATION FOR BRUMBY GOVERNMENT TO BUILD ON RAIL SAFETY RECORD

A two-year audit of every road level crossing in Victoria was released today, setting the framework for future rail safety improvements.

Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky said the completed list of level crossings assessments, based on nationally agreed safety criteria, was a working document for road and rail safety experts to plan for future upgrades.

?The Brumby Government is taking action to improve level crossing safety across the state, we have upgraded 153 level crossings in the past two financial years and another 46 will be improved this financial year,? Ms Kosky said.
Last year, $33.2 million was allocated last year for 53 automated warning signs to be installed on regional crossings, rumble strips added to 200 crossings, and other safety works completed to build on the existing upgrade program.
In 2005-06, Labor upgraded more level crossings then during the entire term of the Kennett Government.
The Brumby Government has commissioned the most ambitious level crossings safety program of any state, key elements include:
?   Upgrading the safety of more than 250 crossings;
?   Reforming the Victorian Rail Safety Act;
?   Led Australia in a proactive level crossing upgrade program;
?   Increased fines for motorists who enter into crossings when boom gates are lowered;
?   Created the successful ?Don?t Risk It!?  education program;
?   Installed 200 sets of rumble strips and will  progressively rolled out 53 advanced warning signs;
?   Reducing road speed limits on approach to 72 level crossings; and
?   Spent more on level crossing safety than any Government in Victoria?s history.

Ms Kosky said there was more work to be done and the Australian Level Crossings Assessment Model (ALCAM) results were available to road and rail safety experts as well as local councils, VicRoads and other stakeholders to use as the basis for level crossing safety improvements.

Road and rail interface, sightlines, terrain, environmental factors and the amount of road and rail traffic are all considered when the final ALCAM score is assessed.

Ms Kosky said the ALCAM list provides Government, the Department of Transport and road and rail safety experts with a snapshot of every road crossing in Victoria.

ALCAM is an assessment tool designed to prioritise level crossing safety improvement works as well as assisting in the determination of the most effective treatments at these sites, in consideration of factors including cost.

?The ALCAM assessments rate every level crossing against each other. The list is fluid, so if improvements are made to a crossing, the risk score will be lower,? Ms Kosky said.

?We will be upgrading at least another eight crossings over the next six weeks so when these works are completed their scores will change as will their positions on the list.?

Ms Kosky said the top 200 crossings rated by ALCAM were fitted with boom gates, flashing lights and warning bells but have higher ratings because of the volume of road traffic which passes across them.

?I urge all motorists to take care on the roads, slow down and obey the road rules. As a Government we are committed to reducing the annual road toll,? Ms Kosky said.

?We must do more, earlier this year the Government set a target of reducing the road toll by 30 per cent by 2017 in its new strategy arrive alive 2008-2017. The Don?t Risk It campaign takes this message further providing a more detailed focus on dangers around level crossings.

?The most important thing to remember about this list is that it does not categorise crossings as ?most safe? or ?least safe?, because all level crossings are safe if drivers obey the signs and take care.?

A recent report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau found that in almost all cases driver error was the cause of a level crossing accident.

Ms Kosky said the ALCAM assessments would also provide local councils and VicRoads with a framework for them to improve level crossing safety such as removing foliage near level crossings or repainting road line markings.

?Even small measures of cutting down trees which border a level crossing can reduce the risk score for the crossing,? Ms Kosky said.

?Adding boom gates to every level crossing may not be the appropriate treatment for crossings. That is why, in partnership with the Municipal Association of Victoria, the Government is investigating if some rural and quiet crossings can be closed.

?We have already committed to not creating any new level crossings and we have removed seven crossings through grade separation and are currently working on a further four.?
Ms Kosky said the Brumby Government was getting on with the hard work of improving safety features of regional crossings.
?There are 1872 road rail level crossings across the state. Since 1999, 285 of these crossings had boom gates and today that number is 364,? Ms Kosky said.
The Transport Accident Commission is also researching driver behaviour in regard to level crossings upon to make Victorian roads even safer.

Ms Kosky said motorists should not be complacent around crossings with a low comparative risk.

?We hope this list reminds drivers to take care every single time they approach a level crossing ? slow down, obey the sign and be prepared to stop,? Ms Kosky said.

?If motorists drive recklessly or carelessly, they risk their life, and the lives of others.

?Level crossing safety is everyone?s responsibility.

?The Brumby Government takes its responsibility extremely seriously and we are investing in crossing upgrades right across the state.?

The ALACM list can be viewed on www.transport.vic.gov.au