The family and friends of a Greek woman who was struck by three cars will picket for a crossing to be installed where she was killed. Anna Tsavasilis, 78, died whilst crossing Centre Road in Clayton on her way to the Greek Orthodox Church, Three Hierarchs.
One car knocked her over in the middle of the road where she was crushed by two oncoming cars.
The protest at the corner of Centre Road and Knight Street on Saturday will mark the one year anniversary of her death on the August 1, 2008.
Family and locals are frustrated that VicRoads has not committed to an installation date for a crossing on the corner of Centre Road and Knight Street, which has proved a dangerous crossing point for pedestrians.
“My mother-in-law was killed and many others have been injured. We have to do something before someone else is killed,” said Ms Tsavasilis’ daughter-in-law, Olga Tsavasilis.
She added that there are medical clinics and a pharmacy on both sides of the busy shopping strip, and that sick and disabled people cross Centre Road everyday risking their lives.
Residents and traders have campaigned for pedestrian traffic lights at the Centre Road strip since 2000, which intensified into a petition following Ms Tsavasilis’s death, and the relocation of the pedestrian lights near Frank Avenue (closer to the church) to Cooke Street last year.
Whilst their requests for a pedestrian traffic light installation on Knight Street were temporarily appeased in November last year by a VicRoads proposal to install a pedestrian crossing, the installation negotiations have been laborious, requiring the constant advocating of the issue by local council and the MP for Clayton, Hon Lim.
“Once VicRoads worked out the location for the crossing, they didn’t have the funding so Kingston council put $50,000 towards the project hoping to give it a kick start.
“The CEO of VicRoads signed off on the crossing two weeks ago but my problem is that it might be shelved if a date is not set,” added Ms Tsavasilis.
Mayor of Monash, Paul Klisaris and mayor of Kingston, Arthur Athanasopoulos will both be lending their support at the protest.
Duncan Elliott, Regional Director, VicRoads Metropolitan South East when contacted by NKEE said, “The State Government has provided funding for the installation of traffic signals on Centre Road, Clayton at the intersection of Knight Street.
Detailed design has commenced with physical works on site to start on the installation of the $580,000 traffic signals in early 2010.” He added, “Kingston Council will contribute $50,000 towards the cost of the project.”
Ms Tsavasilis invites anyone interested to join them on Saturday 1st of August, at 10am, on the corner of Centre road and Knight Street, Clayton.