Hoons hell

By Bridget Cook
HOYSTED Avenue Cranbourne North residents say they are living in fear, as “hoons” are running rife in the area.
Resident Heather Rostan said in past months she had seen cars driving on the footpath, some near-misses and wheelie bins run over and people sped up the street – which is right next to a kindergarten and school.
On Monday night, a car also crashed through her new fence and drove off.
Mr Rostan said the local residents were fed up and wanted something to be done before something worse happens.
Ms Rostan said she had contacted the Casey Council on several occasions since late last year, but no traffic calming measure had been put in place yet.
“The council needs to put safety before money,” she said.
City of Casey transport manager Paul Hamilton said council officers had undertaken traffic surveys at Hoysted Avenue – the most recent in February this year.
“This assessment has identified that traffic conditions warrant the consideration of traffic calming measures,” he said.
Ms Rostan said action needed to be taken soon rather than later.
“We pay our rates and want some help in this situation,” she said. “We want action before someone is killed.
“The residents live in fear every night with cars speeding around.
“A woman walking with a pram in one hand and a toddler in the other was nearly cleaned up by a car late last year, and two days later the same thing happened to an older women. “The speeding and hooning has to stop.”
Hoysted Avenue resident Shirley Scott said the situation was an accident waiting to happen.
“They go through the street like it’s a speedway,” she said. “I think speed humps would just be the greatest thing.”
Another local resident Judy, who did not want her last name used, said the hooning had become worse in the past five years.
“My bedroom is the front bedroom and I fear I’m going to have a car come through the front window,” she said.
“I have big shrubs in my front yard, but I don’t want to remove them as I fell they would stop a car.”
Mr Hamilton said the council had a Local Traffic Management (LTM) Strategy that provided annual funding for the installation of traffic calming devices in roads throughout the municipality.
The strategy assesses and prioritises roads on the need for traffic calming measures based on traffic speeds, traffic volumes and casualty accidents, as well as considering factors such as road geometry and proximity to schools, shops and playgrounds.
Mr Hamilton said Hoysted Avenue was on the LTM Strategy Priority Listing.
“The council will shortly consider a report regarding this priority listing in order to determine specific roads for detailed design and community consultation for the purpose of traffic calming measures,” he said.
Anyone who witnesses an incident or has information about people driving in a careless or irresponsible manner is urged to call the council’s toll free ‘hoon hotline’ number on 1800 18 HOON (1800 184 666).