MORNINGTON Peninsula shire is eyeing a share of $1 billion in state government funding to improve road safety.
It is aiming to become the first municipality in Australia to align itself with the TAC’s new Towards Zero campaign.
Six fatalities in the shire this year are among an average annual 120 serious injuries from crashes.
Four locations have been initially identified to achieve Safe System principle measures or better:
Point Nepean Rd, Rye: This commercial area has had four cyclist and five pedestrian casualties in the past five years;
Balnarring township: Regular crashes here identify the area as “high risk” to vulnerable road users;
Coolart Rd: This rural arterial corridor has had three fatalities and 39 casualties in the past five years, and
Mornington Peninsula Freeway: A high incidence of run-off-road crashes in the section from Peninsula Link to Rosebud has resulted in many fatalities and serious injuries.
The mayor Cr Graham Pittock said that while the shire had made “substantial commitments” to road safety improvements over many years, road trauma remained at “unacceptable levels”.
“The shire will collaborate with the TAC, VicRoads and Victoria Police to demonstrate safe system principles and become the first Towards Zero municipality,” he said.
“Being a declared Towards Zero municipality best positions the shire to attract state government funding for improving our roads and reducing road trauma.”
First published in the Mornington News – 26 April 2016
