A SPEED limit of 140 km/h should apply to the Hume Freeway, Wodonga councillor Tim Quilty says.
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The Liberal Democrats party member would like the existing 110 km/h to be boosted, arguing it was outdated given the safety features of modern day vehicles.
“My personal opinion is 140 is the right speed for the Hume in good weather,” Cr Quilty said.
“If you raise the speed limit you lower the time you’re travelling and our cars are safer now, much safer than years ago.
“Cars are much safer and built to drive faster.
“You look at Germany it’s unlimited and there are a lot of countries in Europe with 130 and 140 limits and they don’t have big increases in accidents.
“In Australia we have this mentality to drive slower.”
Cr Quilty, who has advocated in council meetings against reducing speeds on roads in Wodonga, believes the bulk of Hume Freeway motorists would endorse a 140 km/h limit.
“I reckon most people that drive that road on a regular basis would absolutely support it,” he said.
“Country people would know that it’s held at an artificially low limit.”
Cr Quilty’s 140 km/h limit call coincides with VicRoads considering a 24/7 80 km/h limit at the McKoy Street-Hume Freeway intersection.
The area has been subject to a variable limit from 110 to 80 since 2015 with VicRoads lowering the limit between 7am and 7pm to cut crashes.
“There shouldn’t be variable speed limits on the Hume, it should be 110 all the way through,” Cr Quilty said.
However, he said with VicRoads having modified the intersection it could not return to 110 km/h without a flyover being built.
Cr Quilty is set to be the Liberal Democrats candidate for the Legislative Council seat of Northern Victoria at the state election in November.
He said he had had the choice of standing for the Upper House, or the Lower House seat of Benambra and opted for the former because he would be “an outside chance” as opposed to “no chance” against Liberal incumbent Bill Tilley.
The first meeting of a prospective Border branch of the Liberal Democrats will be held at Wodonga’s Edwards Tavern from 6.30pm on Wednesday night this week.
Cr Quilty could not say how many members were needed for a branch, but said there was already 200 across the North East and Border.