Oatlands crash: Speed camera request for Bettington Rd
Another request to improve safety along the site of the Oatlands tragedy has been made “so another horrendous incident like this doesn’t happen again”.
Parramatta
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The community continues to ramp up safety requests at the site where four children were killed at Oatlands.
Parramatta councillor Pierre Esber has written to Parramatta state Liberal MP Geoff Lee to investigate a speed camera along Bettington Rd where siblings Antony, Angelina and Sienna Abdallah and their cousin Veronique Sakr were killed by an alleged drunk driver while they walked along the footpath on their way to buy ice cream on February 1.
Cr Esber said, considering the recent circumstances, there was “no better time” to introduce the cameras and doing so could prevent “another horrendous incident like this” from recurring.
“While I know that speed cameras can be controversial at the best of times, it is our responsibility as elected representatives to do everything to protect our community,’’ Cr Esber wrote.
“Speed cameras in selected local streets such as Bettington Rd have many advantages.
“It will act as a deterrent to speed, identify the regular culprits, assist the Local Area Command Highway Patrol in managing the area, and be cost effective.”
Cr Esber said that, if the Bettington Rd camera was successful, more could be rolled out across other local danger spots.
“If possible the revenue collected from this speed camera could go into road safety awareness around the City of Parramatta,’’ he said.
Mr Lee has thrown his support behind the speed camera and has written to Roads and Transport Minister Andrew Constance requesting the safety measure.
“In addition, last week I wrote to the council requesting traffic calming devices along the road to slow the traffic,’’ he said.
Parramatta Council will install a pedestrian guardrail along the section where the fatality occurred and is considering a roundabout for the corner of Bettington Rd and York St.
Parramatta Lord Mayor Bob Dwyer said that while police did not identify the road’s condition to be a factor in the incident, the council had responded to community feedback.
“These measures have been identified by council as appropriate ways to help reinforce the area’s 50km/h speed limit and ease community concerns about pedestrian safety along Bettington Rd,’’ he said.
The council will also establish a permanent memorial to honour the children.
● Mr Lee encouraged the community to support a speed camera by nominating online at service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/nominate-speed-camera-location