HEAVY vehicles, high traffic flow and a narrow parking lane along Stewart Street could prove a deadly combination, say two Bathurst councillors who fear it's only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt or killed there.
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Of particular concern are the westbound lanes of Stewart Street, between Lambert and Brilliant streets, where councillors Warren Aubin and Bobby Bourke say there have been several near misses.
"The area near the shops, gym and post office - you take your life into your own hands if you get out of the car there," Cr Aubin said.
"I saw a door get taken off by a truck a couple of years ago. If the person had gotten out they would have been gone with it."
Cr Aubin said you regularly see drivers trying to squeeze out of their car.
"If a truck comes along they will be sucked right under it, it's quite dangerous."
And while he doesn't have any concrete ideas about how to fix the problem, he said he will be flagging it with the RMS.
"I had a quick look at it on the weekend, looking at possibilities like cutting the footpath away, but most of the shops have verandas on the footpath, so you can't do it.
"I honestly don't know what the solution could be, but I'm going to bring it up at the next traffic meeting on Tuesday.
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"Stewart Street is actually an RMS road, so I'll see if they have any ideas about what to do, but it's a problem.
"It's gotten worse in recent years. The amount of traffic on the road has increased ten fold, and with all the trucks travelling along there, there's very little room. Fifteen years ago there there weren't as many shops there or the traffic volume there is now.
"There's actually a similar situation at Haymarket Reserve in the CBD, but the people who park there tend to be workers in the retail precinct they park there early in the morning and stay there all day.
"It's still hazardous, but not like in Stewart Street, where people are pulling in and out every few minutes, especially near the post office and chemist."
Cr Aubin said it will be interesting to hear if the RMS have any suggestions.
"I don't know what the remedy is, it's a baffling one.
Cr Bobby Bourke said he was also worried someone will be hurt.
"I'm very concerned and the rest of the community should be as well. I'm going to get onto the RMS and get them to give us some answers, potentially widening the area of perhaps cutting back on the footpath.
"We're not going to wait until someone gets killed."
