CALL FOR CROSSING

A TOWNSVILLE grandmother is lobbying to have a pedestrian crossing placed near Strand Park over concerns someone could get hit by a car.

Marion Whiting, 81, ( pictured) has lodged a petition with more than 300 signatures with Townsville City Council.

The grandmother wants to see a crossing established directly behind Strand Park across Mitchell St. Ms Whiting said she did not want to cross the road.

“Every second person seems to know that there needs to be a pedestrian crossing,” she said. “At the moment it’s a scramble.”

Ms Whiting said she did not want to have to walk her eightyear- old and nine- year- old grandchildren between traffic.

“If there’s a few of you, you’re stuck in the middle,” she said.

“I’ve spent a few hours on the Strand. There’s no problem get- ting petitioners. I’ve got a whole mixture of ages from 18 to 80 on the petition.” Ms Whiting recently fought a parking ticket in Townsville Magistrates Court after being fined for parking in a disabled space because she did not want to walk across the road.

“I drove my grandchildren down to The Strand after school,” she said.

“I drove around three times to find a parking spot and couldn’t find one so I parked in the dis- abled park. At 81 I thought surely age comes into this.

“I parked my car there for about 15 minutes before calling the kids back over then a police woman came and gave me a ticket for $ 245.

“I said to her where would you have wanted me to park and she said across the road.”

Councillor Ann- Maree Greaney said she had received the petition and planned to take it to council for staff to assess.

“I applaud the lady who came to me with the petition,” she said.

“It’s about working with the residents and community members.” Cr Greaney said the council took pedestrian safety on The Strand seriously.

Guidelines for pedestrian crossings come from the Department of Transport and Main Roads. The Strand has two streetlevel paved crossings behind Strand Park where pedestrians must stop for traffic.