Crossing plea

By Kelly Yates
A SCHOOL community is urging Casey council to install a manned school crossing outside Straithaird Primary School.
Parent Corrie Williams is pushing the council to implement the safety measure at the intersection of Beethoven Drive and Community Parade in Narre Warren South, saying it posed a danger to both students and parents trying to cross the road.
“It’s difficult trying to cross the road because of the large amount of traffic,” Ms Williams said.
“We’re concerned about the students who walk and ride to school as a number of them take a chance, hold their breath and just simply run across the road.”
Ms Williams, who has three children at the school, said she had been in discussions with the council about the manned school crossing for two years.
“The council has in the past done several audits and found that while there were enough children and cars in the area to warrant a manned school crossing, the physical layout was a problem due to the proposed site being too close to residential homes, a roundabout and a bus stop,” Ms Williams said.
City of Casey transport manager Paul Hamilton said while the site had not previously been reported to the council, officers had been monitoring traffic and pedestrian activity at the location over the past two years.
Ms Williams said she felt frustrated at the situation in relation to the lack of action.
“I understand the physical layout is a problem but it doesn’t solve our problem of the children dodging traffic in an effort to cross the road,” she said.
The school has had an increase in students over the years, according to Ms Williams.
“In 2005 we had 150 students and now we have 690,” she said.
Springfield Ward councillor Lorraine Wreford presented a petition with 159 signatures to Casey council earlier this month.
Cr Wreford said council needed to find a logical solution for the school.
Council officers are currently investigating the issues raised in the petition and will report the outcomes to the council at a meeting in the near future.