The following residents of the ACT draw to the attention of the Assembly:
For more than 4 years, the Management of Nipperville Early Learning Centre in Watson along with parents of children attend the Centre, have requested that a zebra crossing be installed on Gwynne Street. Despite citing numerous near-misses between small children and vehicles, often traveling excessively fast for the area, ACT Roads refuse to install such a crossing.
Senior Road Safety Engineer, Pawel Potapowicz, attended site and told a concerned community that the area is safe “because there are no statistics of pedestrian accidents there”. It is as if they need a child to be injured of killed there to justify installing a necessary safety measure. ACT Roads point out that they commissioned a study requiring 600 CARS IN A TWO HOUR PERIOD to justify the crossing. Although, the high speed of the cars, not the volume, was raised as the chief concern.
The community has repeatedly asked for a safe crossing at this location to help slow down vehicles. Please install this zebra crossing before a human toll is paid.
Your petitioners, therefore, request the Assembly to call upon the Government to address community concerns and please authorise a zebra crossing to be installed on Gwynne Street between Nippervile and Watson Shops.
Further, there is a great question regarding the insufficient consultation and action by ACT Roads in addressing concerns as expressed through community outcry. This too deserves investigation and improvement.