By Goya Dmytryshchak
A crackdown is under way around 50 school crossings in Hobsons Bay, including one where a schoolgirl was struck by a car in Altona.
Hobsons Bay council officers are conducting safety blitzes in school zones and have warned they have a zero-tolerance policy for illegal parking and unsafe drop-offs.
A year 8 girl from Mount St Joseph Girls’ College in Altona was thrown onto the bonnet of a car and onto the road while trying to cross Maidstone Street, near Civic Parade, in 2018.
The girl was on the school crossing before the supervisor was due to start work.
She was treated for minor injuries in hospital, while other students and staff who witnessed the incident were visibly upset, according to a teacher.
Deputy principal Joanna De Bono said the girl was struck at the same spot where, in April last year, a ute ploughed into a jewellery store at a bus stop opposite the school.
Ms De Bono said the children’s safety was a concern for the school.
“It has been for a long time,” she said. “I think there should probably be another [crossing]. Further down, we have a large gate and that’s closest to the station [Westona], so that’s probably the area that’s most problematic.”
Hobsons Bay mayor Jonathon Marsden said increased patrols were in response to concerns from school-crossing supervisors and members of the public.
“Areas around schools are particularly sensitive with children and young people not always being aware of the risks of roads and traffic, making it all the more important for drivers to do the right thing,” he said.
