Barry Beckett Children’s Centre parents’ plea to increase safety measures on Murray Rd, Coburg

Terrified parents at a childcare centre in Melbourne’s north are calling for urgent safety upgrades to a dangerous road after another nasty collision.

Terrified parents at a childcare centre in Melbourne’s north are calling for urgent safety upgrades to a dangerous road after another nasty collision.

Mum Rosa Roberts was on her way to pick up her four-year-old son from Barry Beckett Children’s Centre last week when she saw a trailer and car collide on the footpath of Murray Rd in Coburg — between Pentridge and Coburg Lake.

The collision occurred at a spot where pedestrians and cyclists wait for traffic lights to turn green to cross Murray Rd.

Collision between a car and trailer at Murray Rd in Coburg. Picture: supplied.

Ms Roberts, who crosses Murray Rd four times a day, four days a week, said it was the fifth time she had seen such a collision occur at that spot in three years.

“I’ve stopped walking to pick up my son because I don’t like walking along there. The footpath is so narrow, and cars drive so fast in both directions it’s so scary,” she said.

“It’s not safe for pedestrians … you just don’t want to be on the road.”

Mum Rosa Roberts pictured with her son. Picture: supplied.

The 35-year-old mum said it was particularly terrifying to cross Murray Rd to get to Barry Beckett because it is a hill in both directions, meaning “cars are coming flying down the hill or speeding up to try and get through the traffic light.”

“I’ve had to change some of my behaviours to avoid being on Murray Rd for too long … I now go a longer way, going around on the bike path and underneath Murray Rd to avoid it altogether.”

A survey undertaken by the crowdsourcing website Bikespot, which allows cyclists to submit dangerous spots, showed that they found Murray Rd unsafe. Picture: supplied.

Ms Roberts said other parents at the childcare centre were also scared to use Murray Rd.

She said parents at the child care centre wanted to reduce the 60km/h speed limit on Murray Rd, add pedestrian islands, and have authorities reassess and reduce the number of lanes.

Murray Rd went from two lanes to four lanes in 2011 after the Department of Transport noticed safety concerns with the original line marking as motorists attempted dangerous overtaking manoeuvres.

However, over time, the area’s demographic has changed, with more housing developments and the addition of a childcare centre and high school.

“I live within walking distance, but I choose to drive most of the time. Partly because I have to get across Murray Road, and my son is now at an age where he doesn’t want to sit in a pram, and I just don’t feel safe crossing the road with holding his hand,” Ms Roberts said.

Locals living near Murray rd in Coburg say “its too scary” to use the footpath by the busy road and want speed limit reduced. Picture: supplied.

Safer for Walking and Riding for Murray Road community advocacy group convener and spokeswoman Cate Hall said fixing safety measures on Murray Rd was “a matter of life or death”, and that it was just “just a matter of time” before someone was killed.

Safer for Walking and Riding for Murray Road spokeswoman Ms Cate Hall. Picture: Himangi Singh.

She said Merri-bek City Council’s recent traffic count and speed data showed more than 5500 drivers were speeding over the 60km/h limit, reaching up to 86 km/h daily when driving between Barry Beckett and Merri Creek.

“It’s pretty extreme,” she said.

Locals claim the crossing at the Connoly Ave intersection also limits visibility for drivers and vulnerable users on bike paths. Picture: supplied.

Ms Roberts also said she found it “challenging and scary” to see industrial traffic, such as concrete trucks, coming out of Newlands estate onto Murray Rd.

“It’s already scary enough when it’s cars, but massive trucks make you worry about the visibility. Plus the speed that they’re doing and just the weight and size of the vehicle; It’s really intimidating,” she said.

“It’s scary — yes, we chose to live in an area with industrial estate, but we didn’t choose to be afraid of walking down the street because of it.”

Ms Roberts said elderly people and those with disabilities in the neighbourhood also “fear for their lives” when trying to around to live their daily lives.

“Bus stops along Murray Road are also so exposed, and it feels unsafe, even just standing there because you never know when someone will come off the road. And if they’re speeding, that damage could be really awful,” she said.

The Department of Transport has been contacted for comment.