Liberal candidate for Narre Warren South Michael Shepherdson has called on new pedestrian lights at Hallam train station to be turned on before someone is hurt.
By Rebecca Fraser
LET there be light.
That is the opinion of Liberal candidate for Narre Warren South Michael Shepherdson, who has questioned why new pedestrian lights have been installed at Hallam train station but not switched on.
Mr Shepherdson has called on Casey Council and VicRoads to light the intersection as a matter of urgency to make the busy stretch of road safer for train commuters.
He says frustrated passengers told him last week the lights were turned on during the Commonwealth Games mountain bike event at Lysterfield, with a shuttle bus running from Hallam station to the event, but then switched off again.
Both VicRoads and Casey Council have denied this and said power had not yet been connected to the pedestrian crossing lights.
“It was tremendous for Casey Council to lobby VicRoads to have pedestrian lights installed across Hallam Road and Hallam Station, but I ask why they haven’t been switched on permanently,” Mr Shepherdson said. “Train commuters have approached me saying how dangerous it is to cross Hallam Road to catch the bus or to leave the train station car park, and it has only increased the frustration levels when the traffic lights worked one day and not the next.
“I can only hope we don’t see a tragic accident occur before we have the pedestrian lights turned on.
“Whoever is responsible, please switch them on now and make life safer for hundreds of people every day.
“It is pointless to have them standing there doing nothing,” Mr Shepherdson said.
Mr Shepherdson has also called for an urgent upgrade of Hallam train station and questioned why Commonwealth Games spectators were encouraged to leave their cars there and catch a shuttle bus when the car parks were already bursting at the seams.
He said this added extra pressure to the already congested car park and had disadvantaged commuters trying to travel to work.
Mr Shepherdson has collected 400 signatures over the past week calling for more car parking at train stations in Casey.
“It is ridiculous that the City of Casey, with over 220,000 residents, has five railway stations with only 1510 car parking spaces,” he said.
Casey manager traffic Paul Hamilton said the council had undertaken the project to install the lights, although the matter was a responsibility of VicRoads.
“As a major arterial road this should be a VicRoads project but council was concerned about pedestrian issues so we have funded the project,” he said. “The signals are not yet operational because we need to coordinate the lights with the boom gates and rail crossing.
“We also need to get power to the site.
“We are keen to see this happen as soon as possible.”
A spokesperson for VicRoads said the organisation was also not aware of the lights being turned on during the Commonwealth Games.
“As far as we are aware the lights have no power,” she said.
“The hardware is in place and now the underground connection work is being carried out.”
