By ANEEKA SIMONIS
LABOR has pledged it will remove a level crossing on the Maroondah Highway in Lilydale if it wins the State Election.
Visiting Lilydale station, Shadow Minister for Public Transport Jill Hennessy and Labor Candidate for Evelyn Peter Harris said removing the crossing would create faster, safer roads.
“The first step to fixing roads and public transport in Lilydale is to remove this level crossing,” Ms Hennessy said.
“Level crossings cause chaos on the roads, slow down trains and put lives in danger.”
Mr Harris said the crossing was a big issue for locals who often got caught in traffic congestion during peak hour.
“And when a train comes through, it makes it really unsafe. People try to dash around the side roads to try and beat the train and beat the boomgate, that makes it a major safety issue,” he said.
The crossing is listed as one of the state’s worst in Project 10,000, a Victorian Labor transport report.
Ms Hennessy said Labor would consult engineers, the Yarra Ranges Council and the local community before deciding whether to build an overpass or an underground crossing.
In addition to the Maroondah Highway crossing, Labor plans to re-open another at the far end of Lilydale station which was closed due to safety reasons.
Mr Harris said instead of installing boomgates to improve the crossing, the government closed it down, creating new dangers for morning commuters who had to walk in the dark through a long car park to get to the station entrance.
The Opposition has also vowed to deliver 24-hour trains on weekends along the Lilydale line.
Apart of the party’s Homesafe plan, the all-night public transport system will make getting home safer, cheaper and easier for people across Victoria.
The Labor initiative rivals the Napthine Government’s recent move to increase taxi fares by up to 30 per cent from this month.
By New Year’s Eve 2015, the 24-hour transport scheme will have undergone a $50 million trial over 12 months on Fridays and Saturdays.
