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Melbourne families are fighting to scrap a new road safety initiative, claiming that it’s actually dangerous.
The local council has painted colourful spots on a busy Yarraville street to make cars slow down, but angry parents say it actually entices children to play on the road.
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Yarraville was recently crowned one of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods, but its latest street art installation has parents worried.
“It does entice the kids to walk onto the road, they just think it’s a playground now,” one concerned parent said.
The dots are designed to catch drivers’ attention and improve road safety.“It’s all about neural stimulation, you see something novel, you see something new, the first thing you do as a driver when you come up to those polka dots, you slow down,” Maribyrnong mayor Michael Clarke said.
But there are concerns the colours could cause chaos.
“I have heard lots of comments about little kids running out on the road, it can be pretty distracting,” one local said.
Maribyrnong Council says it plans to put up signs explaining the changes and install planter boxers to reinforce the boundary between the footpath and the road.
One local said they would like to see the dots stay “if they can make them safe.” Many Yarraville residents say they can understand the council’s intention with the artwork, but feel the idea was poorly executed and didn’t involve community consultation.
But the Maribyrnong mayor says the council did consult local traders.
“There was always consultation with the traders here, and there was overwhelming support for what was proposed,” he said.“We are listening to you, we want to talk about it.
“Let’s give it a good trial before we come to a final decision.”
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