Make it safer: call

By Lia Bichel
CASEY residents have called for safety upgrades to a notoriously dangerous Hampton Park intersection.
Between 2004 and 2009, there were 23 casualty crashes at the Pound and Shrives Road intersection, including eight serious injury crashes.
Hallam resident Simon Difilippo, 21, said he believed unless safety improvements were implemented, someone would die at the corner of Pound and Shrives roads.
City of Casey councillor Lynette Keleher said there needed to be a reduced speed limit, more signage and better lighting.
“During peak hours, this intersection is a nightmare. It’s all banked up, you can’t see properly and it’s dangerous to do a right hand turn,” Cr Keleher said.
“People are basically taking their lives into their hands at that intersection.
“We don’t want any deaths to occur, but if nothing changes, it is just a matter of time before there will be deaths.”
Cr Wayne Smith said the intersection has been of concern to him and local residents for many years.
“Minor traffic treatments have not worked,” Cr Smith said.
“The only solution is traffic signals and they are needed now.”
Narre Warren South MP Judith Graley said the State Government needed to invest in a safety upgrade quickly.
“The intersection was once again the site of an accident last Friday, causing further delays for already frustrated residents,” Ms Graley said.
“I am regularly contacted by local residents in nearby estates who have significant difficulty getting into and out of their neighbourhoods.
“The lengthy waits frustrate motorists and can often contribute to dangerous driving which has resulted in a number of avoidable accidents.”
At Tuesday’s Casey council meeting, Cr Keleher asked the council to write to VicRoads and the Minister for Roads Terry Mulder seeking funding and installation of upgrades.
But VicRoads Regional Director Peter Todd told The News VicRoads has assessed the need for improvements to the intersection of Pound and Shrives Road and there were no plans to install traffic signals as the intersection did not meet the necessary criteria.
“Other locations in the area rank higher in priority for funding at this stage,” Mr Todd said.
“However, VicRoads will continue to monitor the intersection for consideration in future funding programs.”
Mr Todd said VicRoads intersection improvement criteria considered factors such as the number and type of vehicles using the intersection, the need to cater for pedestrians, the safety record, the level of delay experienced by different road users, the impact that intersection modifications would have on the surrounding road network and the cost to implement.