Local residents are concerned about road safety risks due to the uneven surface of the rail crossing on Dalkeith Rd at Kudla, where every day there are “near misses” that could end up as head-on collisions.
Local resident, Mr Paul Blaser who drives over the crossing every day to get to work said he frequently sees other drivers coming the other way try to position their car in the middle of the road where it seems to be a little smoother.
“At certain times of the day there is also a sun factor where those drivers heading in a westerly direction get blinded by the sun,” said Mr Blaser.
Mr Blaser says that due to the uneven surface car tyres “skip” across the tracks and this becomes a serious safety issue.
“I feel it is only a matter of time before we see a head on crash there because of this,” Mr Blaser said.
Local Member of Parliament Tony Piccolo has written to Transport Minister Corey Wingard asking for urgent repair work at the crossing because the stop gap repairs laid down late last year have not fixed the problem.
Mr Blaser’s message to the Minister is, “It is now his “Duty of Care” that the community concerns have been raised and in the unforeseeable event of a fatality or even damage to a motor vehicle due to the severity of the surface, it’s on him.”
Mr Piccolo is also concerned about emergency services vehicles, which frequent Dalkeith Road.
“This crossing is very narrow and very bumpy, which creates a problem for larger vehicles. It is a regular route for emergency services vehicles, often travelling at higher speeds on their way to call outs,” Mr Piccolo said.
“The rail crossing is in such a state of disrepair. The Marshall Liberal Government must act now before it is too late, and a preventable accident occurs.”