Risky business on road

Trying to reverse out of a driveway is almost as risky as parking on the busy but narrow road and while allowed on paved pads on parts of the verge, if you park on the grass next to it you could be slapped with a fine.
Dalal and Adam Dabboussi both described the situation as “unsafe” and say they often can’t park in front of their own home or safely reverse out of their driveway because of blind spots caused by parked cars.
Taha Marabami said double parking made the situation worse, while Rabeh Kalaoun said it was especially dangerous with so many young families in the area.
“We need it to be safe, safe for the kids, and everyone in the street,” Mr Kalaoun said.
Councillor Bilal El-Hayek has called for the options to address on-street parking in Highland Ave, to be reported back to the Local Traffic Committee.
He said the situation came about “many years ago” when it was narrowed to become a seven-metre wide carriageway and eliminated some parking.
“At that time, concrete parking pads were installed on the nature strip as a trial,” he said.
“With increased car ownership and increasing housing density, demand for parking has also been increasing and is now well beyond capacity.”
Told originally that the “experiment” with narrowing the road was related to concerns about flooding, long-time resident Neville Keeley said it had become “nothing less than a life and death situation”.
“This may sound dramatic, but I would challenge anyone to safely and confidently back out of my driveway when numerous cars or small trucks are parked side-by-side,” he said.
“The times my wife and I have almost been cleaned up when leaving our driveway are innumerable.”