By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Car bingles and worse are said to have become the norm at a recently modified intersection in central Noble Park.
The most dramatic incident at the intersection of Douglas Street, Leonard Avenue and the recently extended Ian Street was a car mounting the kerb and crashing head-on with a barber salon’s window-shutters on Saturday 25 January.
About 6pm, the car had been travelling east on Douglas Street when struck to the side by Ian Street traffic. It came to rest in 2A Leonard Avenue.
Rez Ghiyasi, whose father runs the barber business, said no one was harmed – but only by good fortune.
“If the shop was open and the shutters were up, the car would have been in the shop.”
Customers regularly wait outside the salon, with their backs to the road.
Resident Geoffrey Wachter said near misses are a daily occurrence – ever since Ian Street was extended under Sky Rail last year.
On 29 January, a car from Ian Street “literally flew across” the intersection. It hit four cars about 100 metres up Leonard Avenue, Mr Wachter said.
He said drivers were confused by the uncontrolled intersection. Some drivers assumed the green pedestrian lights were traffic signals and gave them right-of-way.
“There’s no indication as to who has right-of-way and the normal road rules are ignored.
“Traffic lights and moving the pedestrian lights away from the corner are the obvious solution.
“Possibly only a fatality will activate a positive response.”
Greater Dandenong business, engineering and major projects director Paul Kearsley said the council was investigating traffic lights to improve the intersection’s visibility.
The change would depend on discussions with other stakeholders including the Department of Transport, Metro Trains, VicTrack and the Level Crossing Removal Authority.
“Any change to the road network requires some period of adjustment for motorists and pedestrians,” Mr Kearsley said.
“The changes to this intersection in Noble Park however should not pose any additional safety risk as long as motorists are following the road rules and adhering to the speed limit.”
In the meantime, standard road rules applied at the intersection.
