Opinion
25 February, 2026
Taking a walk on the wild side – down Bowral Street
I like to walk. It helps ease my chronic back pain and clear my head. I don’t like it when my walk becomes life-threatening.
I like to walk. It helps ease my chronic back pain and clear my head.
I don’t like it when my walk becomes life-threatening.
For the past two days I have walked along Bowral Street near the Bowral District Hospital.
There are works going on and traffic controls are in place.
Totally understandable.
But pedestrians literally need to watch their step – and watch out for their lives.
On Monday there was no signage in place for pedestrians so I approached the works cautiously – only to be directed (by a worker) off the pathway and directly into the path of oncoming traffic.
I told her that someone would be killed. She either didn’t hear or didn’t care.
Yesterday was a complete disaster.
Heading from the hospital towards Gordon Road there was a sign directing pedestrians onto the road or the other side of the road or somewhere else. Simply an arrow.
I crossed to the other side of the road – thinking it was the safest option – only to find it was also blocked off, but without signage.
There was nobody telling me where I should walk.
My only option was to walk along the road – outside of a line of witch’s hats – with cars travelling in both directions.
Sheer craziness.
I was approached by a worker thinking he would tell me where to walk but he ignored me.
I have worked for enough companies now with a ‘zero harm’ approach to safety to realise this is unacceptable.
Thankfully I got through unharmed but hate to think how a kid riding his or her bike to school or a mum pushing a pram with a toddler in tow would navigate the same obstacle.
Everyone deserves to return home safely – whether they are going to work, riding to a school or simply enjoying a walk.
If there is a safety plan in place for the works in Bowral Street, no-one is making sure it is being implemented or that it is working the way it should.
Unfortunately, that means someone walking or riding near the hospital will inevitably end up where they don’t want to be – in hospital.
In this day and age such a negligent approach to public safety is not only unacceptable but also incomprehensible.
I will be avoiding Bowral Street in the short-term and advise other pedestrians who value their lives to do the same.
Read More: Bowral, Southern Highlands