Tribune readers and Facebook fans have taken to the social media site to voice their anger over the seeming lack of any political motivation to fix the Barton Highway.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It has been more than 30 years since the original plans to duplicate the Barton Highway were drawn up, after long consultation.
Yass Valley residents say they’ve had enough. They stated their reasons, via the Tribune’s Facebook page, for wanting to ‘fix the Barton’.
Dozens have taken to Facebook to tell their story.
“How many more need to die on this road before our government will take it seriously, what is the number?” asked Deanne.
“Do we need to wait for the same statistics as the Princess Hwy to be noticed? Will it be my husband or child next?”
Susan said the number of commuter buses should be increased to take cars off the road.
She also noted the dangers of kangaroos, potholes and driving into and out of the sun.
“And unfortunately the new works themselves, when they finally arrive, seem to prompt more ‘idiot drivers’ to speed on the other stretches. This needs to be solved by all levels of government, RTA, police as well as drivers.”
Jacqui observed that while the road is not the only thing to blame, a better road would lessen the impact.
“It's not just 1 thing that causes accidents...but what is needed to reduce the likelihood of accidents is a better road that's wider and has more overtaking lanes. We are talking about people's lives here!,” she said.
John spoke of his years of experience driving all over Australia and overseas.
“Because of traffic density and single lanes, the Barton ranks right up there in my experience as some of the most risky conditions one can encounter,” he said.
“In peak hour, in the rain, in fog or at night with kangaroos etc it demands a tolerant attitude combined with exceptional alertness, concentration and skills… Governments have failed miserably to provide a road that average drivers can survive on. I've already passed on my thoughts to [Liberal candidate for Hume] Angus Taylor.”
Dale said nothing would be done on the Barton without political motivation.
“Nothing will happen if it remains a safe political seat as there is no incentive for local politicians to force the issue with their parties.”
Drivers are also frustrated with the lack of solid traffic statistics from the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS, formerly RTA).
Joan did her own count which she said didn’t add up with the RMS statistics.
“So how many actually travel Canberra to Yass pm? More than estimated by RTA.
“As I travel that road daily and have since 1991, the numbers have increased 10-fold in that time.”
Others have used the hashtag #fixthebarton on Twitter to push politicians to find funding for the upgrade.
