The Victorian Greens have called on the Victorian Labor Government to increase registration fees for large American-style utes and SUVs in metropolitan areas, in a bid to deter people using them.
Larger utes may have a role in regional areas, but the Greens say neighbourhood roads and carparks were not designed to accommodate these polluting, dangerous monster trucks, and have urged Labor to disincentivise their uptake in the city.
Victorian Greens transport spokesperson, Katherine Copsey, said it was an undeniable fact that supersized vehicles were dangerous.
They have blind spots of up to four metres in front of the vehicle and children are eight times more likely to die being hit by larger utility vehicles compared to a lighter car.
Even in their natural habitat in America, pedestrian deaths are now at a 40-year-high – a public health crisis we should work to avoid.
Not to mention the astonishing amount of pollution they cause.
Ms Copsey said it was critical that Labor intervened and helped reduce the number of ‘truckzillas’ on our roads by a targeted increase in their registration fees.
Earlier this month, the City of Yarra voted to investigate increasing parking fees for large American-style utes and SUVs, following in the footsteps of cities like Paris.
As stated by Victorian Greens transport spokesperson, Katherine Copsey MLC:
“In Melbourne we’re seeing more and more Ford Raptor and Dodge Ram oversize utes bulging out of their parking spaces into adjoining roads and bike lanes, or struggling to negotiate roundabouts on smaller streets.
“They are big, often over two tonnes and two metres wide, and they are dirty.
“If SUVs were a country, they would be the sixth largest emitter on earth. And they are dangerous, with their high fronts creating enormous blind spots. A child is eight times more likely to die when hit by an SUV compared to a passenger car.
“That’s why the Greens are urging the government to stop these truckzillas from taking over our inner-city, by increasing their rego fees.”
