Tragedy shows danger at Surrey Hills level crossing
Last week’s terrible tragedy shows again the serious safety issues at the Surrey Hills level crossing in Union Road.
It was ranked the 14th most dangerous crossing in Victoria in 2008, and many of the higher ranked crossings have now been removed or funded for removal.
When I wrote to the government about it last year, the Minister for Public Transport replied that removing the crossing would have “relatively low” benefits.
I’ve now written to the Premier and Minister again, asking the government to abandon that view and give removing the crossing the priority it deserves based on an independent expert assessment.
I’ve also urged the government to put interim safety improvements in place, such as full traffic lights or embedded warning sensors.