‘Kids’ lives are at risk’

By Ed Merrison
MOTORISTS’ contempt and the absence of a crossing supervisor may be putting children’s lives at risk in Ferntree Gully.
Residents Glynn and Bernadette Ward, whose daughter Adelle attends Wattleview Primary School, last week appealed to Knox councillors to look at road safety on Dorset Road at Francis Crescent.
The council responded by instigating a count of children using the crossing, and hoped the data might help press for greater security measures from VicRoads.
Knox director of engineering and infrastructure Ian Bell said the intersection had an identified accident history.
“Under the Black Spot program, VicRoads installed signals and widened the road,” he said.
The traffic lights were installed in 2003-04, but Mr Ward said the signals were treated with contempt.
“Cars see the lights change and you know straight up that they’ll accelerate to get through,” he said. “The lights are almost irrelevant.”
Mr Ward said grade six student Adelle used to attend Ferntree Gully Primary School, which retained a supervisor up to its closure last year.
“My child uses her commonsense when using the road, but she has expressed some fear about cars running red lights,” Mr Ward said. “If that’s scary for a child in grade six, how is it for a younger child?”
The Wards, who will not allow their daughter to walk unaccompanied to school, said they were worried somebody was going to get hit.
“We need to seriously look at what’s happening at the lights before something happens,” Mr Ward said.
The Wards said a red light camera or a crossing supervisor could provide a solution, but were concerned that low numbers using the crossing might be a barrier to action from VicRoads.
The council’s official count of children using the crossing follows a count conducted by the school through its newsletter.
Wattleview principal Helen Storr said Dorset Road had always been a safety concern because it was a main road, and drivers did not appear to adhere to the speed limit.
Ms Storr said there was a maximum of 12 students using the crossing, but that did not mean it was not an area of immediate concern.
“If only one was in danger we’d support (safety improvements),” she said.
Dobson Ward councillor Karin Orpen said the Wards’ concern was both timely and relevant, since many children formerly using the Ferntree Gully Primary School crossing would now be crossing to Wattleview.
The next VicRoads funding allocations will be made in July 2007, and the type of road, number of people crossing and the road’s safety history are among assessment criteria for a crossing supervisor subsidy.
“If enough people are using the crossing I would argue as ward councillor that funding used for Ferntree Gully Primary School should be diverted to a crossing supervisor for Frances Crescent,” Cr Orpen said. “Even if the number is fairly low, it is in the interest of the community for council to do a second count once these children have settled into their new school and routine.”
Cr Orpen said parents needed a degree of confidence before allowing their children to cross such a dangerous road.
“You can have as many traffic lights as you like, but without having a school crossing supervisor to assist these primary school children I don’t think any parent is going to feel safe that cars are going to stop on a four-lane road,” she said.