A NOBLE Park milk bar owner is calling for a safety barrier outside his shop after a car ploughed through his glass frontage last week.
Antoninho Tchen from Tony’s Corner Store said it was lucky the 6 December incident happened about 7.30am and not closer to the school-time rush.
He was the only person in the store at the time.
“It could have been worse,” he said.
What also scares him is that it’s not the first time during his 12 years at the Joffre Street store, near Liege Avenue, that he’s seen an incident like this.
Mr Tchen said one night a vehicle narrowly missed the store, stopping alongside it, and on another occasion a car hit someone on the footpath outside when its driver pressed the accelerator instead of the brake.
“I’m not guaranteed that it’s not going to happen again,” he said.
He suggested Greater Dandenong Council could put in safety barriers outside.
“Maybe that would help,” he said.
Mr Tchen said customers had even offered to start a petition to make safety improvements happen.
“They walk up and down here every day with their kids,” he said.
“The important thing is to make it safe.”
Paperbark Ward councillor Roz Blades said she had contacted the council’s traffic department and asked it to conduct a study.
“We’ll have to see how many reported accidents there’ve been,” she said.
“I’m naturally most concerned about it.
“We’re keen to get this sorted out.”
Springvale Senior Sergeant Alan Dew said the car’s driver and sole occupant was a local lady in her 70s and she was “shaken but not injured”.
“Police are still investigating the incident and may refer the matter to VicRoads for a licence review,“ he said.
Insurers installed chipboard to cover the shop’s broken front windows shortly after the crash until repairs could be completed.
“So we can keep the shop running – otherwise we have no income,” Mr Tchen said.
But it could still be another week before the glass windows and door and air-conditioner are replaced.
“It’s not very nice. We’ve got no window,” he said.
“The heat could damage our stock. It’s not safe.”
