THE close proximity of a supermarket loading bay to a pedestrian crossing behind the Chelsea shopping strip could cause a serious accident, according to a local business owner.
Bob Halsall says he fears it is only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured at the crossing near the Safeway supermarket in Chelsea.
Mr Halsall has noted supermarket delivery trucks back up onto the pedestrian crossing as they await their turn to drop off deliveries to the Safeway store.
“They park over or very close to the pedestrian crossing while they wait to get in there and when they get in they’re constantly going up onto the footpath to be able to get in there which I think is a recipe for disaster,” he said.
“They also can’t back their trucks in without going up onto the footpath.”
Mr Halsall does not blame truck drivers for the situation but believes “bad planning” of the location and design of the Safeway loading bay causes traffic snarls at the Chelsea shopping strip carpark.
“They also park in the no standing zone beside the supermarket forcing cars to go around in a narrow lane which also forces cars up onto the footpath to get around the truck. It’s dangerous.”
Kingston Council planning and development general manager Jonathan Guttman said stopping at a pedestrian crossing is an offence.
He said council local laws officers will send extra patrols to the area to ensure the crossing is kept clear for safe pedestrian access.
“We will be happy to make contact with Woolworths to discuss the matter and work together to find a solution,” he said.
A statement from a spokesperson for Woolworths said: “There are current driving procedures in place at our Woolworths Chelsea store for our delivery trucks to turn around within the parameters of the loading bay area safely and efficiently.
“We are reviewing these guidelines to make sure our delivery trucks are entering and leaving the loading bay area safely and will implement improvements when necessary.”
When asked to give a name for the spokesperson Woolworths corporate and public affairs media relations manager Sean Ottley said it is not company policy to provide a spokesperson’s name.
Mr Halsall hopes something can be done about the loading bay and pedestrian crossing situation before it is too late.
“You can imagine a baby in a pram out in front getting ‘cleaned up’ and I couldn’t handle that happening.”
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 19 August 2015
This article was amended on 20 August 2015 to include a response from Woolworths.
