Watch: 89-car, 700m traffic jam at southwest Brisbane primary school drop-off
Dashcam footage of an 89-car queue outside a southwest Brisbane primary school has gone viral. Parents say they battle massive traffic jams twice a day — and it’s about to get worse. WATCH
South West
Don't miss out on the headlines from South West. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Dashcam footage of an 89-car queue outside a southwest Brisbane primary school has gone viral, with fed-up parents saying they have battled massive traffic jams twice a day for years.
The problem was about to get even worse, with 450 more students expected to enrol at Pallara State School by 2027. Plans were in progress for 20 new classrooms.
Pallara State School was one of Queensland’s top school priorities for new infrastructure, but many students were still learning in demountables.
The school last year announced extra “temporary hire spaces’’ would be installed before the end of 2023 to “ease the transition between school years as the permanent expansion takes shape’’.
Council blamed the State Government for the monster hold-ups, which often exceeded 100 cars and stretched more than 700m along Ritchie Rd.
One angry parent posted dashcam footage of a typical drop-off on a community Facebook page this week.
It took his car 71 seconds to pass the queue of cars, stretching back from the pedestrian crossing.
The Pallara area was until recent years the salad bowl of Brisbane.
But the farms have been subdivided for houses, with basic infrastructure including schools, roads and shopping centres failing to keep up with growth.
The primary school was moved in 2016 from a smaller site to accommodate the growth in enrolment, which last year passed the 1100-student mark.
Ritchie Rd was still only two lanes, however, despite Council canvassing plans several years ago to upgrade it to a dual carriageway and redesign carparking.
The road still has no footpath on most of its length, with deep swales on either side.
As a result of that, safety concerns for children walking or riding to school meant the Pallara school administration dropped a push for active school travel.
It introduced split drop off and pick up times for the junior and senior year levels.
But many parents with two or more children dropped off younger students and then waited half an hour in the carpark until older children were allowed to enter school grounds.
Many also illegally parked on vacant land further along Ritchie Rd. Council inspectors often fined them but it has not deterred the practice.
One resident, who did not wish to be named, said Council controlled the carpark and Ritchie Rd.
Their understanding was the government and Council had had some communication when the new school site was chosen.
However because the development application was made through what was called a Ministerial Infrastructure Designation (MID) the council and parents had limited rights of appeal.
“Council has collected huge amounts in developer charges from all the housing, most of it on 350 sqm-400 sqm lots, which has been going up in recent years,’’ the resident said.
“They’ve got the money to progress the Ritchie Rd upgrade, which would fix the problem.
Council Infrastructure Chair Cr Andrew Wines said they had been working with the school to improve traffic flow and driver behaviour during school drop-off and pick-up times.
“Pallara is a growing suburb and while the State Government has built a new school, they have failed to invest in the local road and transport network to help families get there,’’ he said.
The school was included in Council’s parking enforcement list and it recently delivered two upgrades to improve traffic flow on Ritchie Rd.
A Department of Transport and Main Roads spokesman said none of the roads surrounding the school were state controlled.
A Department of Educationspokesman also said public roads “in this case’’ were the responsibility of Council.
“The Department of Education (DoE) works in partnership with the Department of Transport and Main Roads, local Councils and relevant stakeholders to ensure there is a co-ordinated approach to road safety around all our state schools,’’ he said.
“The principal at Pallara State School is in regular communication with the school community through newsletters and social media regarding parking and traffic conditions when dropping off and picking up their children from school.
“The DoE encourages all motorists and pedestrians in school zones to act safely and lawfully at all times, particularly during peak pick-up/drop-off periods.’’
He said when choosing whether land was suitable for the development for a new school, DoE considered a range of factors including environmental considerations, topography, land area, site configuration and neighbouring land issues.
The new Pallara school site was chosen following a detailed assessment which included consultation with Council and also the community, during the Ministerial Infrastructure Designation process.
Incoming Labor Councillor for the local Calamvale ward, Emily Kim, said her LNP predecessor had years to plan for the school’s growth.
“We’ve gone from hundreds of residents to thousands in a handful of years,’’ she said.
“I know many residents have been asking for safer paths to school via footpath connections and extra bus stops and services to alleviate pre-existing pressure on their journey to Pallara State School.
“I’m consulting with community members to determine what possible solutions are desired, putting the safety of children and other road users at the forefront.
“I recognise this is a long running and frustrating problem that has not received the attention that it deserves.’’
Crime scene after house gutted by fire at Darra
A crime scene has been established after a home was gutted by fire in Brisbane’s southwest overnight.
SEQ housing shake-up as new property giant rises
A property giant is emerging after its latest takeover was approved, paving the way for the conglomerate to become the largest housing developer in southeast Queensland.