Danger signs

KNOX City councillor Debbie Field has called for VicRoads to fix a dangerous intersection in Ferntree Gully fearing someone will be injured if nothing is done soon.
Cr Field said all it would take was a simple keep clear sign to fix the problem at the intersection.
She said several residents had raised concerns over the intersection of Dairy Lane and Ferntree Gully Road.
“All we need is a simple keep clear sign but nobody’s opening any paint tins despite repeated requests to VicRoads,” she said.
“Painting that sign on the road could save lives. So why wait any longer.”
Cr Field said she has called for VicRoads to do something about the intersection twice in the past few months but nothing had been done.
She said the signage on the road would enable traffic to turn right from Dairy Lane onto Ferntree Gully Road without being blocked by the build-up of traffic.
“This is a problem every day and residents are sick of waiting for something as simple as a road sign,” Cr Field said.
Cr Field said it was almost impossible for nearby residents to turn onto Ferntree Gully Road from Dairy Lane and it was about time VicRoads took some action.
She said the heavy traffic on Ferntree Gully Road makes it impossible for motorists to turn right without having a serious accident. Ferntree Gully MP Nick Wakeling has also raised the issue in Parliament of several occasions.
In October he told the Parliament that the current situation was inequitable.
“It’s imperative that the Minister for Roads install keep clear zones at this intersection to enable residents access to the eastbound lanes of Ferntree Gully Road.”
Mr Wakeling raised the issue again in December but still no action has been taken to fix the problem.
He said the State Government had indicated it would not take action on the request for keep clear signs, which provides little comfort to his constituents.
“It’s imperative that the Government starts listening to the concerns of residents in my community,” Mr Wakeling told Parliament.
Cr Field said she would continue to put pressure on VicRoads until something was done about the intersection.
But VicRoads acting regional director Michael Barker said that the intersection had been investigated and that it was considered not busy enough to warrant a keep clear sign.
“VicRoads has investigated the possibility of installing keep clear markings at this intersection and found that, during peak times, vehicles waiting to turn into Dairy Lane from Ferntree Gully Road did not experience significant delay and managed to find a safe turning gap,” he said.