Locals fear fatal accident if nothing is done to slow speeding traffic in Peterborough

Despite a number of attempts in recent years to get VicRoads to implement measures to slow the traffic nothing has been done.

Former Moyne Shire mayor Bruce Couch and Peterborough Residents Association president Ronald Irvine said traffic through the town was "too fast".

They said too many drivers were failing to obey or even notice the 60km/h speed limit signs.

Mr Couch said he was constantly making calls about speeding motorists as well as asking for VicRoads to fix the potholes on the Great Ocean Road in the town.

"There's going to be an accident," Mr Irvine said.

He said the residents' group had met with VicRoads about two years ago, and had been told there was nothing that could be done. "As a residents' group we are constantly in touch with them," he said. They were also told there hadn't been any accidents along that stretch.

"You have to wait for someone to get killed before they will actually do something, which is ridiculous," Mr Irvine said.

"We know it's an accident waiting to happen.

"There has been some near-misses."

Mr Irvine said people were too busy looking at the Bay of Martyrs and the spectacular views to notice the 60km/h speed limit signs.

He said they had investigated putting "rumble" markers on the road but had been told they wouldn't install those on a main road because they were only used when approaching an intersection.

Mr Irvine said they had been told that because Peterborough was in sections, and because one side of the road did not have houses on it, that meant it was not an urban road and didn't warrant putting further restrictions on it.

He said residents wanted electronic signs at both ends of the town that showed drivers their speed in the hope that would encourage them to slow down.

"It would show people that they were in a dangerous area," Mr Irvine said.

"They drive past there and they don't realise they are in a 60km/h zone."

"We say this is a fragmented town. They've got to walk from Merrett Street, they've got to walk from little Peterborough, they've got to walk from central Peterborough. To get to the shop they all have to cross this road.

"If we could get a pedestrian crossing to stop traffic and allow people to walk across, but the expense of that is apparently too much."

Mr Irvine said it was not a council issue but a VicRoads issue.

Mr Couch said he had made "that many" phone calls to VicRoads.

"I constantly ring them," he said.

"Every time I hear a truck or car and caravan hit the big pothole out there I ring them and ask them to fix it."

Mr Couch said many of the speeding drivers were from interstate.

"Today nearly every vehicle going east or west was driving in excess of 60km/h," he said. "They're just roaring through here."

Mr Couch said there were so many people that were wanting to cross the road to get to the ocean side, and something needed to be done.

VicRoads has been contacted for comment.

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