Shop owners recall many accidents at crossing

The problematic pedestrian crossing on Thames Highway between Frome and Farnham Sts. Photo by Ben...
The problematic pedestrian crossing on Thames Highway between Frome and Farnham Sts. Photo by Ben Guild.
What do you get when you combine what North End residents say is the narrowest section of State Highway 1 between Picton and Bluff, a pedestrian crossing, about two dozen shops, four schools within a matter of blocks and myriad side streets which do not meet up?

Ask retailers in the Oamaru north shopping centre on either side of the white stripes across the road between Frome and Farnham Sts, and most will tell of crashes and near misses.

The most recent was on Tuesday, when a stack of timber secured to a trailer was partially thrust through the windscreen of a car, the driver of which had failed to notice the towing vehicle in front had stopped at the crossing.

Data released by New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) spokesman Bob Nettleton showed there have been five pedestrian collisions 100m either side of the crossing resulting in minor injuries since 2007.

An additional seven people have suffered minor injuries in that area as the result of 20 recorded crashes since 2006.

Those statistics, however, may prove to be unrepresentative of the true number of incidents on that stretch of road, as collisions which do not require police presence often go unreported.

Andrew Bolwell, of Colin Clyne Motorcycles, said he could recall at least 50 crashes outside his store over the course of 25 years.

One crash in March last year, involving an impaired 41-year-old male, had been even closer than that.

"I used to have a veranda here," he said.

"A driver came from the south and launched himself on to the footpath and dropped the veranda, then woke up and parked himself over the other side of the road."

Unlike most of those in surrounding businesses, Mr Bolwell called for greater accountability on the part of pedestrians.

"I'd be for driver education and looking out for motorcyclists," he said.

"You do have to ask why [pedestrians] would step out in front of a moving vehicle."

The ideal spot for the crossing would be on the corner of Caledonian Rd, he said, but added that previous dealings with authorities had proven fruitless.

"We used to do battle with Transit for years," he said.

"We've lost countless car parks over the years. At the end of the day it's like banging your head against a brick wall."

A bypass along Buckley's Hill through Weston should have been undertaken by the council in the 1970s, Mr Bolwell said.

A second store owner, who had traded in the area for a decade but preferred not to be named, said accidents of varying degrees on the stretch of road were a regular occurrence.

"It probably averages out to one a week - sometimes more," she said.

"There have been people hit at the crossing over the years.

"Most of us would rather take our chances crossing down here."

Another store owner, who had been in the area for decades, said the crossing had a history of being shifted.

It was outside the chemist on the southern side of Caledonian Rd about 30 years ago, then on the corner of Frome St, before finally being shifted to its current position, she said.

Opinion in the area is split regarding the best way to remedy the situation.

There appears no room for the road - which already meets the required width for a state highway - to be widened.

Possible solutions mooted included lowering the speed limit in the area to 30kmh, installing traffic lights, or a traffic island in the middle of the road and converting some side streets into one-way streets.

Constable Gary Mahuika, of Oamaru, said Acting Senior Sergeant Peter Muldrew had been involved in a consultation process regarding the 5km stretch of Thames Highway from Orwell St to Duncan Rd.

Thought had been given to reviewing the alignment of that section of highway, he said.

ben.guild@odt.co.nz

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