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THE City of Greater Bendigo has formally supported a supervised marked crossing outside Quarry Hill Primary School.
The perilous area, which has been subjected to numerous near misses, is currently unsupervised, however a motion to begin discussions with VicRoads was passed at a council meeting on Wednesday.
Deputy mayor Rod Fyffe, who was the subject of a petition by Quarry Hill Primary School parent Tony Smith, said the traffic authority had the decisive call on the crossing.
“We are very much guided by them (VicRoads). Council has made its decision are we’re of the opinion that we need to wait for VicRoads to get back to us,” Cr Fyffe said.
The City of Greater Bendigo has written to VicRoads for advice on whether they will provide funding for a supervisor and are awaiting a response.
Traffic volumes and speeds were all considerations for VicRoads, according to the Lockwood Ward councillor.
Bendigo and its surrounds has 43 supervised school crossings, but parents at Quarry Hill Primary School are in desperate need for another.
Tony Smith’s petition to the City of Greater Bendigo for a supervisor to be stationed at Peel Street received 200 signatures.
“Unfortunately, some motorists have no respect for unsupervised crossings,” Mr Smith wrote in the Change.org petition.
The school council member said it was a daily occurrence to see cars failing to stop at the crossing, even though young children were in the vicinity.
“In addition, many cars are observed travelling in excess of the speed limit (40 km/h),” Mr Smith wrote.
Former Quarry Hill Primary School principal Andrew Schaeche recently told The Bendigo Advertiser the school had been supervising the crossing at the end of the school day, but was informed it was not its responsibility.
Cr Fyffe hoped VicRoads’ statewide review into school crossings would not complicate, or delay, a decision for the school.
“There might be a hiatus – they (VicRoads) might say we’re not going to make any decision until the review is completed,” Cr Fyffe said.
The City of Greater Bendigo will contact petitioners once advice is received from the traffic authority.
VicRoads was contacted for comment.