Gippsland › Latest news › Danny O'Brien MP

Bus accident on Meeniyan-Promontory Road emphasises need for more funding for widening and improvement says Danny O'Brien

A recent bus accident on the Meeniyan-Promontory Road emphasises the need for improvements and widening of the road, as advocated by Danny O'Brien, Member for Gippsland South.

By news@gippsland - 23rd May 2023 - Back to News

The bus accident this week involving children on their way to school at Fish Creek on the Meeniyan-Promontory Road highlights the need for action to widen and improve the road. The Nationals Member for Gippsland South, Danny O'Brien has been campaigning with local community members for some time to improve Prom Road which is narrow, winding and has a poor surface in many locations.

The recent bus accident on the Meeniyan-Promontory Road, involving school children, underscores the urgency to widen and enhance the road

Persistent advocacy: Prom Road

Mr O'Brien said he's been frustrated at the failure of the Andrews Labor government to deliver any significant upgrades which would help alleviate issues such as that which apparently caused the bus accident. "I've raised the issue of Prom Road in Parliament and with the Minister for Roads numerous times in the last few years."

"One of the issues that locals are concerned about is the narrowness of the road and the risk of accidents when trucks, buses, caravans and other large vehicles meet on narrow stretches. There are few locations with sealed shoulders and the road itself is quite narrow. I understand the accident occurred when the school bus met a truck coming the other way and had to swerve to avoid a collision," he said.

Neglected roads warning

Mr O'Brien added, "Thankfully no-one was injured, but this is the near miss that gives a good warning to the government. It's criminal that the state government has again cut the roads maintenance budget this year by a further 25 percent when in fact it should be increasing it. Our roads are in a perilous state and need more investment not less."

"Roads like Prom Road which runs to our premier tourism location and services a wide farming area should be much better, but instead the government is focussed on multi-billion dollar projects in the city. I call on the Andrews Labor government to provide serious funding to Prom Road to widen and improve it," Mr O'Brien said.

Pictures from The Age website.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com