Wednesday, 19 June 2024

 Samantha RATNAM (Northern Metropolitan) (12:56): (942) My question is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety. I ask that she invest in making Bell Street bridge in Coburg safer for pedestrians and cyclists. The community campaign to make this road safer has been going on for years. The Bell Street bridge is a busy thoroughfare used by almost 500 school students from Coburg High every day. It is well known for being dangerous, with its high speed limits, mountable kerbs and lack of pedestrian barriers. The Department of Transport and Planning have already done the hard work and identified how to make it safer, including by reducing the speed limit to 40 kilometres per hour. This change is low-hanging fruit; there are really no excuses for further delay. Other opportunities for safety include widening the footpaths, refreshing the road treatments and installing physical barriers to protect pedestrians and cyclists. The community fears that the government’s unresponsiveness can only result in tragedy. Minister, will you now commit to fund the Bell Street upgrades in Coburg as a matter of urgency?