Tuesday, 18 June 2024

Bus route 364

Nick McGOWAN (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (22:20): (965) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Public and Active Transport, and the action I seek is for the minister to investigate road safety along the 364 Warrandyte–Ringwood station public bus route at Highfield Avenue in Warranwood. This issue was brought to my attention by Warranwood resident Carly Bridger, who lives on Wellington Park Drive right at the corner where the 364 bus turns in to and out of Highfield Avenue and directly opposite Warranwood Primary School. Ms Bridger is concerned that Highfield Avenue has become a safety hazard for the local community following a collision earlier this year between the 364 bus and her son’s car, which was parked legally on Highfield Avenue when it was struck and damaged by the bus. Ms Bridger is concerned that the incident highlights the danger that the current route poses due to the narrowness of Highfield Avenue, which does not provide sufficient space for the bus to pass safely, especially during peak times such as during school drop-off and pick-up, when it poses a significant risk to pedestrians, including schoolchildren at nearby Warranwood Primary on Wellington Park Drive. Add to this the fact that Highfield Avenue is a geographical short cut for motorists wanting to access Wellington Park Drive from Wonga Road; add a blind corner, as is the case with all avenues; and add 38 residential properties potentially parking their cars on the kerb, as was the case with Ms Bridger’s son, and you can see why traffic jams have become the norm in the locale.

Ms Bridger suggests that the 364 bus needs to be rerouted away from Highfield Avenue and that as a safer alternative the route should take the roundabout at the intersection of Wonga Road and Wellington Park Drive instead of detouring along Highfield Avenue, given the current congestion in the residential area and the risk to the local community. Ms Bridger adds that Highfield Avenue residents would not be inconvenienced, as they would have easy access to the bus route via several walking paths between Highfield Avenue and Wonga Road were the route to be diverted. I would also add that Wonga Road, being a main thoroughfare, is a far better place to accommodate large buses than a narrow, at times highly congested, residential rat run. To quote Ms Bridger:

It’s only a matter of time before a pedestrian is going to be hit with the bus making it all the more difficult.

I implore the Minister for Public and Active Transport to conduct a thorough safety review of 364 Warrandyte–Ringwood station public bus route, taking note of Ms Bridger’s concerns around the use of Highfield Avenue in Warranwood as part of the route, given the associated risks imposed on local residents and the local school community. I trust that the minister will consider this matter seriously and take swift action to ensure that the 364 Warrandyte–Ringwood station public bus route through Warranwood’s residential streets, particularly Highfield Avenue, is fit for purpose and safe for local residents and the wider community.