No rush to cut speed limit

School kids at risk, but council, VicRoads say action still months off

CITY Hall has defended the delay to act on pleas to reduce a speed limit near a Corio primary school.

It has been more than a year since 40 students at Northern Bay College’s junior campus penned requests to Geelong council and VicRoads to make Purnell Rd a 40km/h school zone.

But despite fears raised about the safety of students crossing the four-lane thoroughfare, the speed limit remains at 60km/h.

School parent Shakira Coon told the Geelong Advertiser this week she had seen several near-misses on the road involving pedestrians.

Ms Coon said she also had concerns about her daughter — a grade 3 student currently on crutches — safely crossing the road.

Purnell Rd runs to the south of Northern Bay College’s Wexford Court campus and is home to a school crossing, a kindergarten and several child care centres.

It has been the site of several major crashes, including a May 2013 incident resulting in the death of an 11-year-old boy, who was hit by a bus while riding his bike to school.

City of Greater Geelong city services director Guy Wilson- Browne said the council supported lowering the speed limit to 40km/h during peak school times.

Mr Wilson-Browne said City Hall had not been sitting on its hands and had prepared a bid to VicRoads to change the limit between Princess Rd and Bacchus Marsh Rd.

“As part of this application we have undertaken a number of investigations and surveys,” he said.

“VicRoads has indicated that it also supports a reduced school speed zone in this area.

“It is expected that we will introduce a reduced 40km/h school speed zone in the next few months.”

VicRoads South West regional director Mark Koliba said it was working with the council to implement a reduced speed.

“Boosting safety around local schools is a key priority which is why we carefully consider any request to lower the speed limit,” Mr Koliba said.

Meanwhile, VicRoads has said it will fix road damage near the Bell Park intersection of Ballarat Rd and Jasmine St.

Its pledge came after Geelong councillor Eddy Kontelj complained a damaged section of Ballarat Rd had been “unsatisfactory for far too long”.

Mr Koliba said a team from VicRoads would repair the surface in the “coming weeks”.

Picture: ALAN BARBER SLOW DOWN: Shakira Coon, daughter Tianah Seaton and Tianah's schoolfriend Summer Scanlon at the Purnell Rd school crossing that is still 60km/h more than a year after students petitioned council to lower the limit to 40km/h.