GRIFFITH might be the city of roundabouts, but drivers are such duffers at navigating them that local police – and the city’s mayor – have called for traffic lights at our congestion-choked hotspots.
In a move that would have Walter Burley-Griffin turning in his grave, the city’s top traffic cop and mayor Mike Neville say only traffic lights would alleviate the danger and frustration caused by two of the CBD’s worst roundabouts.
The call comes after an NRMA study this week found almost a third of drivers – and half of young drivers – were baffled by the basic rules of roundabouts.
The findings, and his own experience policing Griffith roads, prompted an unflattering appraisal from Sergeant Angus Duncombe of local drivers.
“People just clog the roundabouts up, especially at Banna and Jondaryan and Banna and Ulong,” Sgt Duncombe said.
“They’re not looking ahead and often people are reversing out of the middle parking bays and before you know it, they’re choked up.
“It’s especially bad on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and hopefully now we have a new mayor, he might have a more positive outlook about putting traffic lights in.
“Getting rid of some of those middle parking bays might help too but there may be an issue with the businesses there.”
His push has found a powerful backer in mayor Mike Neville, who said while the decision would ultimately be one for council and the community, he was an unabashed supporter of the traffic lights concept.
“I’ve always been keen on traffic lights, especially at Banna Avenue and Jondaryan Avenue,” Cr Neville said.
“Heavy transport is often turning right to go the freight terminal and it can cause a bottleneck.
“The fact it only has the capacity to carry a single lane onto Banna Avenue is a problem too.
“My personal view is that traffic lights would benefit the flow of traffic and pedestrian access.”
Sgt Duncombe said many drivers were not aware of simple roundabout rules, like giving way to everyone on the roundabout, indicating left when exiting and staying in the one lane.
“We do enforce these things on occasions, but if we were serious about it, I wouldn’t have enough officers to write the tickets,” he said.
Riverina Learn to Drive instructor Kevin Cerato agreed it was a rarity to see drivers fully obeying roundabout laws.
“A lot of aged drivers especially seem to have no idea where and why to signal,” Mr Cerato said.
“They indicate right and then left when they’re going straight ahead and others don’t indicate at all.”
He said while traffic lights might alleviate the problem, they would test drivers’ patience.
“People in Griffith might not have the patience to wait that 30 or 40 seconds, where city drivers are used to it,” he said.
“If a roundabout is treated fairly, it is a very safe institution … people just need to learn the rules.”
Riverinacars.com president Matt Best said local driver behaviour at roundabouts was “pretty horrible”.
“People need to realise that it’s illegal to queue in the centre of a roundabout,” he said.
“They shouldn’t proceed out unless they know they can get through.
“You don’t just go through a stop sign, you wait and check, and people should do the same at roundabouts.”
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