By BRIDGET COOK
HAMPTON Park Seniors’ Club members have again expressed their anger after feeling like their calls for a pedestrian crossing along Pound Road have gone unanswered.
Last year the centre tabled a petition with 565 signatures calling on VicRoads to urgently install a pedestrian crossing near Narellan Drive, citing a number of safety concerns.
Club president Neil Shepard said he was advised at a meeting with VicRoads and City of Casey representatives recently that there was no funding available for the crossing at this stage.
Mr Shepard said he felt VicRoads didn’t know how badly the crossing was needed and that people were risking their lives trying to cross the busy road every day.
He said it was desperately needed as many elderly residents from the seniors’ centre, bowls club and nearby retirement village, as well as school children, needed to cross the road to access the Hampton Park shopping centre, bus stop and doctors.
“The City of Casey is a rapidly growing community with many families moving in. This means that the larger volumes of traffic are at all times of the day,” Mr Shepard said.
“Local MP Judith Graley invited Premier Denis Napthine out to see first hand the problems we all see and have to battle with every single day.
“This invitation was refused.
“This is a dangerous and hazardous situation for everyone to be in.
“Maybe this government should have been with us while we were collecting the signatures for the petition for this problem, hearing the residents’ concerns for their safety.”
Mr Shepard said the problem had been made worse with the removal of the school crossing near the intersection of Manning Close and Pound Road.
“A resident told me that his son and other students are now using the creek under the bridge to cross,” he said.
Mr Shepard said he spoke to one student about this method of crossing and he stated that it was safer than trying to cross Pound Road due to cars speeding and not stopping.
VicRoads Metropolitan South East Regional Director Adam Maguire said VicRoads has undertaken detailed investigations at this site to determine the most appropriate treatment option to improve pedestrian access.
“As an outcome of these investigations, a proposal to install pedestrian operated signals on Pound Road, near Highland Avenue, will be considered for future funding in the next context of state-wide priorities,” he said.
