Drive to stop frightening hoons on Maltravers Rd

MALTRAVERS Rd is quickly becoming Banyule’s most notorious speedway and frightened residents are fighting back.

Maltravers Rd, which is being used as a speedway by hoons, say residents.

MALTRAVERS Rd is quickly becoming Banyule’s most notorious speedway and frightened residents are fighting back.

Cars are frequently rat-running through the suburban road, which splits Ivanhoe East and Eaglemont, at speeds of up to 75km/h in the 50km/h zone, putting pedestrians’ lives at risk.

At last week’s council meeting, Eaglemont resident Rowan Harrison said that a mobile speed camera set up at the intersection with Outlook Drive captured 178 cars speeding in just three hours.

He said a number of drivers assumed the road had a 60km/h limit because it ran between Burke and Upper Heidelberg roads.

“The S-bend near Hopetoun Grove regularly has vehicles crossing the double lines, frightening oncoming traffic,” Mr Harrison said. “Last year, a vehicle parked west of Hopetoun Grove was wiped out when a speeding vehicle didn’t take the bend and they both finished up on a footpath.”

Maltravers Rd resident Seb Besimi said the road was extremely dangerous and hoons frequently did major burnouts at the intersection of Rotherwood Rd.

“We have been putting up for far too long with hoons using our road as a raceway,” he said.

The road is much wider than other suburban streets and also travels downhill, making it attractive for reckless drivers.

Resident Ted Smart started the petition to improve safety and slow down vehicles. He told the council it was a major catastrophe waiting to happen on what had become a major thoroughfare.

Suggestions included additional 50km/h speed limit signs, roundabouts at Rotherwood Rd and Ashby Grove or a separation in the middle of the street.

Former Liberal candidate for Jagajaga David Mulholland said the issue on Maltravers Rd was just the tip of the iceberg for safety issues in Eaglemont.

The council said it would look into installing more signs in the short term and find measures to slow down speeding cars.