Attention needs to be given to a ‘death trap’ on the Golden Highway, says Dubbo Regional councillor David Grant.
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Cr Grant said he was disappointed and concerned about the lack of consideration the Roads and Maritime Services had given to a bus stop on the Golden Highway.
The shoulder where the bus stopped was barely wide enough, Cr Grant said, and there was no room for parents to be able to pick up and drop off their children.
“Children have been put in a position where they have to climb down and through a water channel to get to the bus stop and when they are hopping off in the afternoon the bus has to pull up on the edge of the water channel to ensure the bus is clear of the roadway,” Cr Grant said.
“Previously there was considerable room for parents to pull off the road while waiting to pick their children up from the bus stop or when dropping them off in the morning. Now with the redevelopment of the intersection the space that is available for the bus to pull in and parents to park has been considerably reduced and to be totally honest is unsafe and it won’t be long before a major incident occurs.”
Cr Grant said there were fears the bus would be hit by a truck on the busy highway. If it rained, there was also a risk of the school children falling when trying to climb over the water channel, the councillor said.
The initial plans were much different to the reality, Cr Grant said, and there was originally no concern from the bus stop users.
What might have initially cost $20,000 to be done properly would now cost at least double or triple the cost, Cr Grant said.
The Roads and Maritime Services was contacted for comment but was no able to provide a response by the deadline.