A NEW mum says it’s only a “matter of time” before a pedestrian is killed at the intersection of Douro and Hampton Roads in South Fremantle.
Rachel — we’re not using her surname as hubby’s in the army — says the green man doesn’t give people nearly enough time to get across the road before vehicles start streaming through.
Pedestrians often only get halfway across before vehicles turning into Douro stream into the road, often stranding mums with pushers on the median strip.
While vehicles are required by law to give way to pedestrians, Rachel says the reality is once the man stops flashing, motorists start zooming through.
“I have been yelled at, verbally abused, and honked at when crossing this road in accordance with the pedestrian traffic lights,” she’s now written in a complaint to WA main roads.
• Rachel and neighbour Amanda brave the Hampton and Douro Roads intersection in South Fremantle with their children. Photo by Jessica Cockerill
“I ask on behalf of myself, my child, my neighbours and my community for the pedestrian green man to last long enough for pedestrians to cross safely, and for the turning arrow for drivers to stay red for longer.”
The busy intersection often has people waiting to cross to get to daycare, church and the shops. Rachel says she and other locals have taken to acting as unofficial attendants, shepherding children, the elderly and people with disabilities safely across, often to a cacophany of angry beeps.
Without action, “it’s only a matter of time before someone is injured or killed, simply because Main Roads couldn’t make vehicles wait for an extra few seconds,” Rachel says.
A response from main roads, that she report drivers’ number plates to police, has Rachel hopping mad.
She says if customer services officer Tristan Healy reckons someone trying to cross that road has time to whip out a pen and paper, he’s never had to juggle an infant, a pram and bags of shopping.
“My immediate response is not to record vehicle details, but to get off the road,” she says.
Main Roads has since checked the crossing amd reckons the signals are “operating according to standards”.
It’s handballed the issue to police.
by JESSICA COCKERILL
Not Kardinya Park – this location is adjacent South Fremantle Marketplace Shopping Centre, corner Hampton and Duoro
It is a nasty corner for pedestrians. How many vehicle accidents on that corner in the last 2 years? Any idea? I have often heard screach kf brakes and bangs at the intersection of Lefroy and Hampton.
We’re not sure how many accidents, but there was at least one fatality involving a scooter rider. Main Roads claimed an investigation showed no link between road design and the accident, but did anyone else think it was a shade suspicious that just a couple of months after the accident there was some fairly significant works there?
I discussed this with main roads a few years ago with intersections in the city. this is what they advised me via email:
The ‘green figure’ display: This will generally be displayed for six (6) seconds. Pedestrians are given a five (5) second head start before turning vehicles are given a green circle signal (never a green arrow signal) which allows drivers of turning vehicles to proceed, however drivers are required by law to give way to pedestrians who are crossing the road they are turning into.
The ‘flashing red figure’ display: This display always appears after the ‘green figure’ display. The ‘flashing red figure’ continues for the time it takes a normal pedestrian, who has already started crossing, to fully complete the crossing. For pedestrians who have not started crossing at the commencement of the ‘flashing red figure’ should NOT commence crossing. They will need to press the pedestrian button and wait for the next ‘green figure’ display.
The ‘steady red figure’ display: This display always appears after the ‘flashing red figure’ display and remains on until the pedestrian push button is pushed to activate the ‘green figure’ display. Pedestrians must NOT cross while the ‘steady red figure’ is displayed.
With the situation of the cars not giving way, they are technically breaking the law. As the road Traffic Code 2000 states in part ‘Turning Vehicles must give way to Pedestrians’
If vehicles do not give way, they can be reported to the W.A. Police. T