Former Norwood MP Greg Crafter’s petition joins chorus opposing The Parade right-hand turn ban
Weeks after more than 50 businesses launched legal action against a plan to ban right-hand turns off The Parade, a former Norwood MP has joined the fray with a petition against the change.
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A veteran Norwood MP has joined the chorus of protest over plans to ban right-hand turns on The Parade.
Greg Crafter, who was the Labor member for Norwood from 1979 to 1993, will on Tuesday night present a petition, signed by 125 people, calling on Norwood, Payneham & St Peters Council to reconsider the controversial right-hand turn ban.
The move comes after Parade traders last month launched legal action over the plan to stop people turning right from The Parade into George St during peak hour.
Mr Crafter’s petition has called for dedicated right-turn lanes to be installed on The Parade in place of a ban, which the council has flagged as a safety measure as part of installing a scramble crossing at the George St intersection.
In it, Mr Crafter, a former local government minister, said banning right-hand turns would shift traffic from George St and into other residential streets.
“There is an absence of compromise in the council’s approach on this matter and the result is harmful for residents, visitors and shoppers to The Parade businesses and services, and access to public carparks,” Mr Crafter wrote.
“The council has simply transferred the traffic problems at George St to other streets without resolving them.
“We deserve better than that.”
Previous advice from the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure said right-turn lanes were an option, but “similar gains could be made by banning these right turns during the busiest times of the day”.
The bloc of businesses and landlords challenging the pan in court includes Australasian Property Developments, which is overseeing the $110 million Norwood Mall upgrade, and LJ Hooker principal Rino Pancione.