By Vanessa Chircop
“IT is now a matter of genuine life and death.”
That was the message from Councillor Angela Altair last week.
The council is calling for automatic safety gates to be installed at the pedestrian rail crossing at Williamstown North train station where a 28-year-old cyclist was hit by a train a fortnight ago.
It is believed the cyclist, who remains in a critical condition, crossed against the pedestrian crossing when he was struck and dragged under a north-bound train.
Hobsons Bay City Council wrote to VicTrack in 2008 requesting the immediate installation of safety gates at the station but to no avail.
Cr Altair described the response to their request as “silly excuses” – including that there was not enough space at the crossing.
“That’s a nonsense … at Altona there is even less space and they’ve managed to put in the automatic gates,” she said.
“There’s no excuse.”
Cr Altair also noted the tragic death of two school children at the station in 2001.
Of the 28 pedestrian rail crossings in the Hobsons Bay area, six have automatic gates, 13 have pedestrian booms and nine have a maze.
In responding to Star’s questions last week a spokesperson for VicTrack said it was not their responsibility to fund pedestrian crossing upgrades.
“VicTrack is the delivery agency for upgrade works that are funded by the State Government and local councils, respectively,” the spokesperson said.
At last week’s meeting, the council moved to write to the Rail Crossing Safety Steering Committee to provide the funds for VicTrack to immediately install automatic safety gates.
Cr Tony Briffa said there should be minimum standards at rail crossings and the minimum standards should include automatic safety gates.
“Particularly in places that are so close to schools,” he said.
“Frankly it’s a no brainer – install them, install them as quickly as possible.
“They should have been installed years ago.”
