Arabic version: دعوة لتمويل سلامة المشاة في فيكتوريا بعد ارتفاع الوفيات

According to ABC News, pedestrian advocacy group Victoria Walks is urging Labor and Liberal parties to commit $150 million over four years to install or upgrade more than 1,000 road crossings across Victoria. The call follows Transport Accident Commission data showing 33 pedestrians were killed on the state’s roads in 2025, above the five-year average of 22.

Victoria Walks chief executive Sarah Pilgrim said safe, continuous infrastructure was necessary for people to choose walking. She said missing footpaths or unsafe crossings could cause people to stop walking. The proposed crossings were identified in council transport plans, and Pilgrim said the investment would support Victoria’s target for 25 per cent of trips to be made by active transport by 2030.

National Road Data Safety Hub figures show pedestrian deaths across Australia have fallen 28.9 per cent in the past 25 years. However, Victoria recorded 192 pedestrian deaths between 2020 and 2024, a slight increase on the previous five-year period. Maroondah Council is reviewing its pedestrian network, including 645 kilometres of footpaths, after receiving hundreds of community ideas on accessibility, safety and night lighting.

In Coburg, advocate Cate Hall said Murray Road felt “hostile” for pedestrians despite a speed limit reduction from 60km/h to 40km/h during school drop-off and pick-up times. Merr-Bek Council said the road had recorded 23 crashes in three years, including five serious injuries requiring hospitalisation. The Victorian government said it was investing more than $1.4 billion in road safety improvements, including more than 850 pedestrian crossings, while the state opposition said pedestrian infrastructure had been neglected.