Roads and Maritime Services has been considering installing traffic signals at the Cronulla intersection where Gai Vieira was critically injured in a crash involving a police car.
This was revealed at the Sutherland Shire Council meeting on Monday night, where it was unanimously agreed to seek either traffic lights or a No Right Turn sign at the intersection of Kingsway and Connels Road.
The council also decided to seek traffic lights at the nearby intersection of Kingsway and Woolooware Road, next to Woolooware Oval.
Councillor Marie Simone, who moved the motion, said there had been a number of serious accidents and near misses on the Connels Road and nearby intersections
“How many must there be before something is done?” she asked.
The council director in charge of traffic matters told the meeting, “there is some movement on Kingsway”.
”Up until recently the plan by RMS was to put signalisation on Connels Road,” he said.
“But, it has been reconsidered and they are now looking at the Woolooware Road intersection.”
The director said no detailed planning had occurred.
Traffic Committee chairman Tom Croucher said RMS was “not opposed to putting traffic lights somewhere along Kingsway at either Woolooware Road or Connels Road”.
“They acknowledge something needs to be done,” he said.
“So far our efforts through the Traffic Committee have failed. They don’t seem to get to it.
“We need to push a bit harder.
”From what RMS has said, aid they see the traffic lights as being for the benefit of residents and council should pay for them.”
Cr Michael Forshaw said, while he supported the motion, traffic lights would not prevent all accidents because of driver behaviour.
He referred to the death of Danieelle McGrath, who died when she was hit by a truck while crossing Kingsway at Caringbah two years ago.
Cr Greg McLean said there was a need to “look at that whole area”, including the variable speed limits of 60km/h to 70km/h.
