KUDLA residents are worried about road safety risks because of the uneven surface of the rail crossing on Dalkeith Road, where they say there are daily near misses that could become head-on collisions.

Resident Paul Blaser, who drives over the crossing every day to get to work, said he frequently saw other drivers coming the other way try to position their car in the middle of the road where it appeared to be a little smoother.

“At certain times of the day, there is also a sun factor where those drivers heading in a westerly direction get blinded by the sun,” Mr Blaser said.

He said because of the uneven surface, car tyres “skip” across the tracks and had become a serious safety issue.

“I feel it is only a matter of time before we see a head-on crash there because of this,” Mr Blaser said.

Member for Light Tony Piccolo has written to Transport Minister Corey Wingard asking for urgent repair work at the crossing “because the stop-gap repairs laid down late last year have not fixed the problem”.

Mr Blaser told Mr Piccolo that it was now Mr Wingard’s “duty of care” that the community concerns had been raised.

In the event of a fatality or even damage to a motor vehicle because of the poor state of the surface, “it’s on him”.

Mr Piccolo said he was also concerned about the safety of emergency services vehicles, which frequent Dalkeith Road.

“This crossing is very narrow and very bumpy, which creates a problem for larger vehicles,” Mr Piccolo said. “It is a regular route for emergency services vehicles, often travelling at higher speeds on their way to call-outs.

“The rail crossing is in such a state of disrepair. The Marshall Liberal Government must act now before it is too late, and a preventable accident occurs.”