GUNBOWER police officer, Shane Flynn, has run out of patience with drivers not slowing for the town’s school crossing.
He just hopes the town isn’t running out of time, fearing an accident before a much better warning system is installed to protect schoolchildren forced to cross a state highway at least two times a day to attend school.
Leading Senior Constable Flynn said not many people grasp the number of vehicles driving through the town on a daily basis, so frustrated at the lack of progress, he has recruited The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh to help him and the community to get flashing 40km/h signs facing both ways.
Mr Walsh said asking young children to potentially weave their way through an average 3500 cars and as many as 700 trucks a day, Monday to Friday, was a recipe for disaster.
“The Murray Valley Hwy is a 100km/h thoroughfare stretching 663km from Robinvale/Euston in the west to the High Country in the east and it has been on the radar of the police for a long time – literally,” Mr Walsh said.
“I know police have repeatedly targeted the 40km/h zone and fined plenty of people, but they have told me they are sick of hearing drivers say, ‘I didn’t see it’ when referring to the current signage.
“This is such a simple matter to fix, and with any other government it would have been fixed long ago, but with the Andrews Labor government blowing billions and billions of dollars in budget overruns on major Melbourne infrastructure projects, there’s a long waiting list – and it’s getting longer.
“I will be raising it in Parliament, and we are expecting something to be done about it in a hurry and then we will compile a list of the other towns with similar problems, such as Stanhope, which has the same challenges with the Midland Hwy.”
LSC Flynn said when you add up the numbers through Gunbower people “are amazed” to hear talk of thousands and thousands of vehicles of all shapes and sizes.
He said the best local opinion was the crossing system now used had been set up in the 1970s – it is on its way to a 50th birthday and in dire need of an upgrade.
“Morning and afternoon, local school children at the current crossing are taking on all that traffic, and as most of it is not local, the others passing through probably have little idea of traffic conditions here,” LSC Flynn said.
“I am going to approach VicRoads regarding an upgrade from the current system to a more modern one for vehicles travelling on the highway,” he said.
“Presently, the school crossing supervisor has to physically open and close the speed signs – from 60km/h to 40km/h – before putting out the flags. Then change them back when the speed reverts to 60.
“Plus there is a single yellow flashing light on top of one of the posts with the sign which also needs to be improved.
“The best outcome would be the 40km/h signs that light up; like most towns have.”
