A Melton shop owner wants steel barriers installed in front of each car space facing a busy High Street shopping strip after a driver ploughed through his store last week.
Photography store owner George Tsegos said he was surprised no one was hurt when a 62-year-old woman smashed through the building, with a staff member and customer inside at the time.
“Because people are driving into parking and the footpath is at the car’s front, it’s only a matter of time before it happens again,” he said.
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The Melton woman told police she accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the brake on her four-wheel-drive when she was parking last Tuesday.
Mr Tsegos doesn’t know yet how high the damage bill will be.
His shop is surrounded by a supermarket, cafe and several banks, and he believes a bollard or steel pole will keep shoppers safe.
“I’ve seen other places where they’ve simply concreted a pole into the ground, and it’s enough to stop cars going through and smashing into shops,” he said.
The Ballarat Road shops in Deer Park have safety poles on the footpath similar to those suggested by Mr Tsegos.
Melton council’s engineering services manager, Les Stokes, said incidents of this type were very rare, and barriers would make access difficult for disabled pedestrians.
“At this stage, council has not considered the installation of bollards,” Mr Stokes said.
“They would prove a significant constraint to pedestrian access along the footpath, making it more difficult for prams and people with mobility aids.”
He said bollards strong enough to resist vehicle impact cost about $2500 each.
Cambridge, Coburn and Watts Residents Association president Nathan Miles said installing the bollards would depend on how often these sorts of accidents occurred.
“If they happen regularly, it would have merit,” Mr Miles said. “They could prevent accidents and even ram-raids, so it could have a security element, too.”
