铁证如山，墨尔本仍需东西环线道路

近期专家给维州政府做的报告中发现，儘管维州政府已为了放弃 “东西环线道路” (East West Link) 支付了 11亿澳币的代价，但报告中仍然发现墨尔本毕竟还是需要一条连接墨尔本东部地区和 Tullamarine 高速的交通要道。

这份由 Price Waterhouse Coopers 做的专业报告，它不过是再次印证了一件维州人民众所皆知的消息，一个墨尔本急需第二条连接东部和西部地区环线道路的事实。

不幸的是现今州长 Daniel Andrews 提案的西部枢纽计画 ( Western Distributor) 只是画虎不成反类犬，虽耗资 55 亿，但却只连接 Westgate Freeway 和 CityLink 北边的 Bolte 大桥。 这对交通壅堵杯水车薪，几乎于事无补。

州长 Daniel Andrews 更提议把即将歩入全民免费路段的 CityLink 收费时间延长至少12 年，以之因应 Western Distributor 计画所产生的财政缺口。 儘管多数东部和东南部驾驶甚少行经西部路段，而整个 Western Distributor 计画对东部壅堵重灾区于事无补，但这些驾驶还是要为 “西部枢纽” 计画支付数以千计澳币过路费的代价。

English version/ 英文版

East West Link still needed

A recent expert report to the State Government has found that Melbourne still needs a road to link the eastern suburbs to the Tullamarine Freeway, even though the State Labor government has paid $1.1 billion to scrap the East West Link.

This report by PricewaterhouseCoopers confirms what most Victorians knew anyway – that Melbourne needs a second link running all the way between the eastern suburbs and the western suburbs.

Unfortunately, the $5.5 billion Western Distributor that Premier Daniel Andrews is proposing will not provide such a link. It will only run between the Westgate Freeway and CityLink north of the Bolte Bridge.

Despite this, Premier Daniel Andrews proposes to require motorists to pay CityLink tolls for at least 12 more years in order to raise money for the Western Distributor. However, most eastern and south-eastern suburbs motorists will seldom use the Western Distributor and will get little benefit for the thousands of dollars of extra tolls they will pay.