RESIDENTS pushing for a speed reduction on the four kilometres of Cape Schanck Road that runs between Boneo Road and the lighthouse will meet with the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council in a bid to enforce a 60kph limit.
Resident Suzanne Vigenser, who lives on the road, said there was wide support to reduce the existing 80kph limit, which she said was “too dangerous” for road users and wildlife, with animals regularly hit and pedestrians put at risk. “Apart from the animals we see killed and injured, there are walkers who use the road and it’s really not safe because people drive too fast,” she said.
Vigenser said the recent interest in the Aurora Australia, which brought hundreds of visitors over two nights to the area, highlighted the need to reduce the speed. “It was a nightmare … there were so many cars and people and it was not safe,” she said. Vigenser has lived in area for more than 20 years, and said the increase in traffic and population made the 80kph speed limit obsolete. “The speed limit needs to change because the area is changing,” she said. “We have young families moving and there are walking groups, it’s not just a holiday place”.
Nearby Boneo Road is managed by VicRoads, which is in the process of reducing speed limits to 60kph “to help reduce the likelihood and the severity of road crashes and improve the road environment for everyone”. VicRoads, under the management of the Department of Transport, says “safer speeds provide drivers with more time to react in dangerous situations and reduces the distance it takes for their vehicle to come to a stop. Everyone has a role to play in road safety and this includes driving to the conditions, expecting the unexpected, and avoiding distractions”.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 29th May 2024
