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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-07-12 Daily Xml
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FLAGSTAFF ROAD

The Hon. R.B. SUCH (Fisher) (12:47): I move:

That this house calls on the state government to improve road safety on Flagstaff Road at Flagstaff Hill.

Before I get onto the road safety aspect, I do not know whether members are aware that it was on the edge of that road—about halfway up—where Colonel Light did some of his surveying for the City of Adelaide. That is why it is called Flagstaff Road, and there is actually a memorial cairn on the western side of Flagstaff Road with a little flag on it. That is a digression; just a little bit history.

Flagstaff Road is a three-lane, reversible road. The lanes reverse, not the road. It was introduced, I think, around about 1988. In the mornings there are two lanes travelling to the city and in the afternoons there are two lanes travelling away from the city, or that is the logic. It would not be so bad if all motorists recognised that. There are overhead lights to indicate to drivers which lanes to use.

Residents in the southern area have frequently reported that the road is dangerous. The main problem is that drivers travelling up and down the road often use the centre lane when they should not because the light is red. There have been a lot of near misses, and I have experienced that myself. There is a bend in the road which makes it difficult to see a motorist who may be using the wrong lane until it is almost too late.

Buses and trucks use the road and, if they are trapped behind one going uphill, a motorist can look forward to travelling up the hill at a snail's pace as overtaking poses a huge risk. That was highlighted by a constituent who pointed out that an ambulance trying to go up the hill had to wait for a bus to basically exit before they could get past that bus further up. Many motorists have taken risks to overtake these slow-moving vehicles, which is incredibly dangerous because once they commit to overtake there is a likelihood of a head-on collision, and there have been several of those.

Residents want the road to be made a four-lane road with two lanes in each direction. Many have signed a petition; in fact, I presented one here recently. The most recent one was signed by 238 residents and a previous one by 369 residents. I have written to the Minister for Transport on many occasions but, to this date, I have not had any success in terms of a commitment about improving the road.

The department of transport has installed very sophisticated cat's eyes at the bottom, which are good, and I have encouraged the department to use them elsewhere—on the Gepps Cross junction and at other main intersections. They are particularly useful when the weather is wet because motorists can see where the lanes go. For some reason—I am not sure whether it is the cost of these special cat's eyes—the department seems reluctant to install them anywhere else, but I think it should because motorists in other key junctions where there are multiple lanes could make sure they stay in the correct lane.

I will quote what various constituents have said, so this is not an issue I am making up. I will use their names because they do not object. Mr Allen of Aberfoyle Park is concerned about non-functioning traffic lights on Flagstaff Road. I quote:

I had a vehicle approaching me head-on and in the incorrect lane. Fortunately we avoided a collision.

There is a comment from Murray Fopp of Aberfoyle Park. He said:

I narrowly avoided a head-on collision at the southern end of the reversible lane. A southbound vehicle entered the centre lane—open to northbound traffic—a short distance before the end of the three lane section. I avoided a collision only because I was able to swerve into the (fortunately) empty left-handed lane.

These next comments are some others that go back over time. Rob Paterson of Flagstaff Hill said:

The overhead signage is completely inadequate compared to the highly visible in-road red lights which indicate when to merge.

Those are the cat's eyes. He goes on:

I have personally witnessed 3 near miss head-on collisions on this top section of the road in the last 6 months. I have never seen any problems at the bottom end since the inroad red lights—

that is the cat's eyes—

were installed. I am aware there was a very serious head-on collision on this section of the road.

Martin Penny of Aberfoyle Park said:

Came face to face with a 4 wheel drive in the middle lane. Lights on the road should be continued all the way up to delineate lanes or place signs at the top and bottom of the road which indicate whether there are 1 or 2 lanes available.

He is talking about overhead lights, I guess, as well as cat's eyes. Dennis Quantrill of Aberfoyle Park said:

Drivers are constantly ignoring speed limits on Flagstaff Road—need to be policed.

It is not an easy road for the police to monitor because, in effect, there is no footpath area so the traffic police would be putting their lives at risk. Rae Hornsey of Aberfoyle Park said:

Has had two near misses—narrowly missed having a head-on collision.

Brenton Mitchell of Flagstaff Hill said:

An ambulance trying to get past a bus going up the road and was unable to do so.

Gayle Purdy from Flagstaff Hill had begun to merge into the outer lane when she saw a large semi-trailer coming down the same lane in the opposite direction. Peter Leader of Flagstaff Hill said:

The road is a disgrace. Concerned that there is no footpath/access way by side of road for pedestrians. What happens if someone breaks down on the steep section of the road?

Finally, D. Griffin of Aberfoyle Park said:

Bottom of Flagstaff Road at Darlington intersection. This is very good and a safety feature. I am wondering whether this same thing could be done in the roadway at the top where the road divides.

He (or she) would be talking about the cat's eyes.

There is another issue with Flagstaff Road which is not as serious a problem as coming down at Glen Osmond on the freeway, but timber trucks and others use that road. A couple of trucks have got away and, fortunately, there was no-one at the bottom at the time. If ever a truck loaded with timber logs gets out of control going down that road, I am not sure where they will end up because there is no arrester bed there (and it would not be easy to put one in). I am not quite sure where they would go in an emergency.

So, my plea to the government—and I understand there is land that has become available on the east side that may be surplus to requirements of SA Water—I would urge the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure and the minister to have a look at planning to create two lanes each way on that road. I know it cannot happen overnight and it will cost a lot of money, but in the interim at least secure the land from SA Water, if that land is available on the east side, to make sure the option is retained to create another lane and turn it into a four-lane road in the future.

Debate adjourned on motion of Mrs Geraghty.


[Sitting suspended from 12:56 to 14:00]


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