A Warrnambool business leader is calling on council to improve safety at the Lava Street bus interchange, saying it's an accident waiting to happen.
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South West Credit chief David Brown has taken his serious safety concerns about the relocation of the Koroit Street bus interchange to Lava Street to council.
He raised issues including the safety and visibility of pedestrians as stationary buses block pedestrians and motorists' views of each other. "Equally as dangerous" are motorists on the opposite side exiting the Victoria Hotel to merge with east-bound traffic right at the pedestrian crossing.
Motorists who "hook around" the approaching speed humps, catching pedestrians unaware was also dangerous, he said.
The lack of toilets is also an issue with bus users wanting to use the credit union and other nearby businesses facilities which was "not an ideal situation".
Mr Brown sent the letter dated November 19, 2018 about the temporary relocation, which he was originally informed was "likely" to be until mid-2018.
"The bus stop is almost right up against the start of the crossing and there have been many near misses, particularly when west-bound traffic is coming into sun glare in the late afternoon," Mr Brown said in the letter.
He received a response from Warrnambool City Council's facilities and projects manager Benjamin Storey, on Monday, dated February 13.
The council is seeking public comment about the interchange which was moved in 2017 while streetworks were completed. It is considering if the new location is a better option, calling for feedback before a decision is made.
Mr Brown said the Lava Street interchange was "well past being a temporary arrangement" and wondered why the reply took so long when council had decided in October that designs for the Koroit Street upgrade should not include a bus interchange. He called for more transparency. "Why did they wait this long and was the decision driven by other considerations such as budget as opposed to user needs?"
In his response, Mr Storey said delays led to "a further extension to the temporary Lava Street arrangement".
Mr Storey said council had requested additional surveillance around the area due to concerns "about the lack of compliance with traffic laws".
He said council would consult on the location of the interchange, taxi rank and associated services shortly and Mr Brown's feedback would be included.
Mr Brown said while the council suggested that police monitored CCTV cameras, he didn't expect them to be monitoring traffic.
"I want them out catching serious criminals," Mr Brown said. "I'd expect local government to ensure safety of pedestrians and vehicular traffic. If some poor motorist does connect with a pedestrian it would be tragic all around."
Mr Brown said he would be "more accepting" of the interchange's move to Lava Street if safety improvements were made and toilets constructed.
To let council know what users think of the Lava Street location there is an online survey at yoursaywarrnambool.com.au. Other surveys will be conducted at bus stops.
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