Tuesday, 7 May 2024

Bus route 364

Nicole WERNER (Warrandyte) (19:12): (647) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Public and Active Transport, and the action I seek is for the minister to investigate the safety issues of the route 364 bus through the residential roads of Highfield Avenue and Wellington Park Drive in Warranwood. This issue was brought to my attention by a constituent, Ms Carly Bridger, who reported a troubling incident involving her son’s vehicle. His car, while parked legally along Highfield Avenue, was struck and damaged by the 364 bus. This incident is not merely about property damage; it highlights a critical safety hazard on a road that is frequently congested, particularly during school drop-offs and pick-ups.

Highfield Avenue serves as a route for several local schools, including Warranwood Primary and Melbourne Rudolf Steiner School, and is densely populated with pedestrians, particularly schoolchildren. The road itself is narrow and ill-equipped to handle the large buses that navigate this route among heavy pedestrian traffic and parked cars. Increased congestion over the years has exacerbated this situation, with traffic jams becoming a common sight along Wellington Park Drive and Highfield Avenue, particularly at peak times. The current bus route not only endangers parked vehicles but also poses a significant risk to pedestrians, our children, who might find themselves in harm’s way if we fail to act. One suggestion to fix the problem is to reroute the bus to travel via Wonga Road, where the road is wider and can more easily accommodate the large buses. To quote one constituent:

Congestion around the area has increased since we moved here … and it’s nothing to see cars banked up along Wellington Park Drive and Highfield Ave as far as the eye can see, especially at school pick-up with the increased number of vehicles and pedestrians making it an accident just waiting to happen.

Therefore I implore the Minister for Public and Active Transport to conduct a comprehensive review of the bus route along Highfield Avenue. Immediate action is needed to prevent future incidents. We have a duty to ensure the safety of our community, and addressing this dangerous traffic condition is imperative. I trust that the minister will treat this with the seriousness it warrants and take swift action to ensure our local streets are safe for all in our community who use them.