Transport trauma … Paul Pellegrino, who drives from Hoppers Crossing to West Footscray for work every day, says Wyndham drivers experience too much traffic trouble. 51935
By Alesha Capone
PAUL Pellegrino has become fed up with Wyndham’s traffic woes.
The Hoppers Crossing resident, who drives to his West Footscray workplace on a daily basis, has urged other travellers to attend a transport forum at the Wyndham Events Centre in Hoppers Crossing tonight (24 August) at 7pm.
Wyndham councillors, the Department of Transport, VicRoads and Roads Minister Tim Pallas will attend the session.
“At the transport forum, the only thing I’m hoping will happen is the chairperson or whoever is in charge will see a swell of people there so they can see how fed up we are,” Mr Pellegrino said.
He said he had lived in Wyndham since 1994 and used to drive from his home to Moorabbin for work in a “comfortable 50 minutes.”
However, now it takes him that long to get to his West Footscray workplace – a drive which once took around 20 minutes.
“I use all the side streets and cut through other suburbs it’s so bad, which makes it bad for other local residents too,” Mr Pellegrino said.
“Sayers Rd, Leakes Rd, Palmers Rd and Derrimut Rd are all a nightmare. Most are beyond a joke and are getting worse and worse.”
“Those roads should be dual-lane, not single.”
“During peak times, travelling 500 metres on Sayers or Leakes Rd could take 10 to 20 minutes and I’m not exaggerating either.”
“I don’t use the Princes Highway or M1 because they are just as bad.”
Mr Pellegrino said the booming population within Wyndham, Australia’s fastest-growing municipality, was contributing to traffic congestion.
“I have written to the council several times and said they should not issue one more building permit until infrastructure catches up,” he said.
While Mr Pellegrino drives to work, his daughter catches public transport to university in Clayton and also experiences transport troubles.
“It takes her an hour-and-a-half to two hours to get there and we’ve tried it in a car, which is just as bad,” Mr Pellegrino said.
“From Hoppers Crossing to Clayton she can’t get a seat 50 per cent of the time and everyone is cramped and squashed together.”
