Crossing fear

Andrew Mathieson
fA PARENT and a Drysdale school principal fear a fatality is just around the corner as students battle to cross roads from three schools amid growing traffic congestion.
Concerned parent Robin Fraser has raised concerns with St Thomas Primary School principal Sean Kennedy after witnessing drivers regularly flouting road rules.
Mrs Fraser said many parents were exceeding strict 40km/h schoolzone limits, using mobile phones at the wheel, parking illegally in nostanding areas and driving over naturestrips.
About 600 Drysdale students from three primary and secondary schools were endangering their lives crossing Andersons Road and Peninsula Drive, she said.
The traffic chaos was at its worst in the afternoons, Mrs Fraser said.
“Sitting there at 3.10pm every week, I hold my breath and can’t wait to get out of there.
“Rarely is there a day that goes by when I don’t see something.”
A school crossing was installed last year at Andersons Road but it remains dormant.
Geelong’s council said Vicroads withdrew its support to share the costs to fund a crossing supervisor due to “relatively low numbers of children initially using the crossing”.
Mrs Fraser said garbage trucks accelerating down the hill on Andersons Road after taking a shortcut from Grubb Road to a waste disposal site were increasing the danger.
“We have no traffic lights, no crossing guard and nobody manning the crossing,” Mrs Fraser said.
“Children are running out in front of traffic to go to their parents, as opposed to parents pulling in the school roundabout and picking them up properly.”
Council had reduced speed limits from 80km/h, even though children had to cross over without a crossing, to 40km/h earlier this year.
“But nobody is heeding those speed limits,” Mrs Fraser said.
Parents had suggested circulating a petition to City Hall to demand supervision of the school crossing before it was too late, she said.
Mr Kennedy said up to four teachers were on duty in the school grounds every day to help children negotiate the roads.
“Teachers are always under pressure to make the kids are safe,” he said.
“That’s always been part of our job.
“It’s probably increasing because there is more traffic, more children and more parents picking them up.”