Plea to fix turning lane after sign hit again

Hobby Lords managing director Liam O'Neill with part of the business signage that has been ripped...
Hobby Lords managing director Liam O'Neill with part of the business signage that has been ripped off, again, by heavy vehicles turning into King Edward St from Hillside Rd. PHOTO: Gregor Richardson
The owner of a South Dunedin business owner is frustrated after its sign was taken out by a heavy vehicle for the fourth time in a year.

Hobby Lords, which is located at 124 King Edward St, was hit by a truck yesterday which ripped part of the sign off the outside of the building.

The truck hit it while turning left from Hillside Rd on to King Edward St.

Managing director Liam O’Neill said the corner was of concern, with vehicles sometimes mounting the footpath to get around it.

"The top of a truck has skimmed and smashed into the signage and I've been told that there was a person that had to jump out of the way, which is what happened last time as well."

Mr O’Neill’s main concern was that the lane was too narrow for large vehicles.

The sign would cost $400 to fix, but that was not what concerned him.

"It's not about the cost. Honestly, the cost I could care less about. But it is the fact that [vehicles are] mounting the kerb and damaging it every time."

"We've told them again and again and again. Fix it, please just fix it."

The store attracted a large community of people, with up to 500 people attending weekly for events, he said.

"It's a place [we] want to keep safe."

The last two instances he knew for "a fact" people on the footpath had to move to avoid being hit by a vehicle.

"If they hit that in the wrong direction, there's a steel beam going through the back of the vehicle."

Police had told him the road was an issue, he said.

Otago Regional Council transport manager Lorraine Cheyne said the council was aware of incidents of large vehicles, including buses, clipping the signs at the building from time to time.

"With some 120 vehicle bus movements per day through this intersection, as noted above there have been some isolated incidents involving buses."

The intersection was one of many tight intersections across the Dunedin network, Ms Cheyne said.

King Edward St was road-marked to provide for larger vehicles to track wide while they made the turn at the intersection.

 

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