Fed up … Concerned father of two Ian Corcoran, pictured with son Hunter, is sick of speeding motorists on Oldfield St. 56424 Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI
By Natalie Gallenti
PARENTS and staff members from Sunshine Heights Primary School fear for the safety of their students as speeding motorists continue to cause havoc on Oldfield St, Sunshine.
The concerned group has once again called on Brimbank Council to install bollards along the street, a well-known spot for hoons, after a staff member was involved in an accident last week.
The staff member, who did not wish to be named, said she was forced to drive onto the kerb as she turned left onto Oldfield St, to avoid a speeding motorist. Her car rode up on the kerb and collected one of the crossing supervisor posts and suffered considerable damage.
The staff member said there had already been four incidents this year where cars had crashed into the school’s fence, narrowly missing students and said “hooning” had been an ongoing problem for the last 15 years.
In 2004 the council remodelled the roundabout at the intersection of Oldfield St, Mayne St and Lachlan Rd in a bid to reduce the risk speeding motorists pose to students; however residents want further traffic management devices installed.
Vice-president of the Sunshine Heights Primary School Association Ian Corcoran said it was only a matter of time before children were seriously injured due to council negligence and the failure of police to enforce the permanent 40km speed limit.
“I question the priorities of both council and the police; do we have to have a death before something is done?” Mr Corcoran said.
The father of two said he wrote a letter to the council in May this year, but was yet to receive a response.
Describing it as an “absolute nightmare” the concerned parent said he refused to cycle to school with his son and had even been involved in road rage incidents in the last few months, when he would not drive above 40km.
General Manager Infrastructure and Environment Paul Younis said council officers had met with the school in the past and had recommended measures they could install to protect the playground users.
However Mr Younis said the installations of bollards needed to be considered carefully because in some circumstances they often posed a roadside hazard without addressing the problem with speeding and driver behaviour.
“Previously the school had requested council to install a barrier treatment on Oldfield St to protect potential property damage and personnel behind the boundary. The options for this type of treatment are very limited due to the requirement to maintain clear zones along the roadside,” Mr Younis said.
Senior Constable Shane Spiteri from Brimbank Highway Patrol said the unit had not received any complaints regarding Oldfield St, but urged residents to call the hoon hotline on 1800 664 666 if they spotted speeding motorists.
