The Andrews Labor Government is ripping vital funding from the TAC over the next four years, which is money that should be used to make our roads safer.
In the 2020-21 State Budget, Financial Statements revealed that the Andrews Labor Government is taking out $1.5 billion from the Transport Accident Commission as dividend payments over the next four years.
The number of lives lost on the road in 2019 was 267, an increase of 25 per cent (this is the highest annual road toll since 2016).
Incidents resulting in the death of a cyclist have increased by over 50 per cent.
Rural roads account for 135 out of 267 lives lost – 50 per cent – even though only 24 per cent of Victorians live outside Melbourne.
If the Andrews Labor Government was serious about Road Safety, it would put that money back in, as well as:
- reinstate the Parliamentary Road Safety Committee, which the Andrews Labor Government cancelled;
- guarantee all road safety speed cameras are on, after a recent report by the Road Safety Camera Commissioner stated up to 18 per cent have been off for up to two-and-a-half years; and
- invest in fixing country roads, with the conditions of roads in Victoria at their worst in history and causing accidents in regional Victoria.
Road safety has been ignored by the Andrews Labor Government, that’s why an elected Liberal Nationals Government will:
- fund at least 1,000 extra drug tests every week;
- increase penalties for drug driving in line with drink driving; and
- focus speed camera site selection on reducing road trauma, not raising revenue.
Comments attributable to Shadow Minister for Road Safety and the TAC, Brad Battin:
“As the road toll increases, Daniel Andrews has taken his eyes off the massive road safety crisis in Victoria.
“In 2019, there was a 25 per cent increase in the road toll. Daniel Andrews’ answer to this is to pillage and plunder the TAC and rip vital money for road safety initiatives out.
“Labor ripping $1.5 billion out of the TAC in this budget shows an astonishing failure to grasp the problem at hand.
“Daniel Andrews and his Labor Government must immediately reinstate this money, or he will have to wear the consequences of his decision to rip funds out of road safety.”
