Mr Walker said temporary 30kmh signs were put up in the lower part of George St in mid January but they had since been removed and the 50kmh signs put back.
But the cruise ship season was not yet over and there was ''great potential for injury'' and potential ''loss of life'', including among some older Port Chalmers residents, and other pedestrians from cruise ships crossing the street.
There was considerable pedestrian activity, including many older people visiting a GP surgery on one side of the street and then crossing to visit a pharmacy.
There was a complex mix of entrances on to the street, there were visibility issues, including with the road crest on George St, and he knew of several ''near misses'' with pedestrians and vehicles.
Many residents had discussed their concerns with him and some people thought it was ''lunacy'' that a solution had not already been found.
Earlier this month, Carey's Bay resident Kristine Nicolau made a submission at a regional land transport hearing in Dunedin, raising safety concerns about pedestrians in George St, and said she was frustrated a permanent lower speed zone had not already been achieved.
New Zealand Transport Agency Otago Southland journey manager Graeme Hall said road safety was of ''paramount'' importance for the agency and the organisation was listening carefully to concerns raised.
Mr Hall said he planned to attend the next meeting of the board's State Highway 88 liaison committee next month to learn more about local concerns.
He would also be talking further to the Dunedin City Council, and there was scope for a broader meeting to be held, including everyone in the sector, including Port Otago Ltd and transport industry representatives, Mr Hall said.
Agency officials said that given George St's state highway status, 30kmh zones could be applied only as a temporary measure.
Mr Hall noted there had been discussion about speed zone signs, but other significant steps could be taken to increase safety protection, such as installing flexible bollards and a protected pedestrian crossing area.
Dunedin city councillor Andrew Noone is a DCC representative on the Chalmers board and chairs the board's State Highway 88 liaison committee.
The committee, which was broadly representative, had been established because of safety concerns in George St and elsewhere, and he supported making the 30kmh zone permanent, and the DCC also took this view.
Some Port Chalmers residents were concerned about pedestrian safety because they had either seen a ''near miss'' between a vehicle and a pedestrian, or had had a similar ''bad experience'' themselves.
Other concerns had also been raised because of the mix of heavy traffic and pedestrians in the area, he said.
