Outside a primary school in Melbourne’s north, an intersection paralyses confused drivers and baffles teachers and parents who fear the worst.

Drive over what feels like four barely there speed humps, and you’re onto a slightly raised platform.

There are two stop signs, where some drivers slam on the brakes and others fly past, and four zebra crossings, where pedestrian signage faces this way and that.

In the centre of the intersection of Darebin Boulevard, and Hickford and Borrie streets, in Reservoir, is the site of an old roundabout, which was ripped out. It’s at the core of parents’ dread, who worry their children might be the next near-miss. Or worse.

Reservoir Views Primary School principal Steve Stafford has battled with the council for about a year, demanding extra school-crossing supervision and asking after promised electronic signage.

When the intersection reopened after works in May 2025, it did so without any line markings or signage, Stafford said. He was forced to pull over on his way into school, shepherding kids over the crossings and directing traffic himself.

“I avoid driving through there on the way home. You’ll have cars staring at each other, not knowing what to do,” Stafford said.

“We’ve had people who’ve had to push their their kids across when cars have gone through to avoid being hit.

“I’m genuinely surprised there hasn’t been a serious injury.”

Parents say their children are unsafe getting to and from school.

“My daughter uses the crossing on the way to school – we often ride our bikes,” said parent Christine Speziale. “There are a lot of kids who go to and from school on their own.”

Her nine-year-old daughter, Indika Kelly, piped up: “I don’t want anyone getting hurt,” she said. “My friend almost got hit by a car a few weeks ago.”

The mother and daughter have begun separate petitions calling for its urgent independent review and upgrade.

Speziale’s petition is bound for the council, while her daughter canvassed classes at the school which is on one corner of the intersection. Between them, they’ve collected some 350 signatures – 250 for Speziale’s, another 100 at the school.

Darebin Council said the roundabout was removed in April 2025 “because it was not effectively prioritising pedestrian safety”.

The council instead installed the raised platform and zebra crossings, which were reviewed as part of a safety audit in March 2026 to ensure they met “all design and safety standards”.

A 99-place kindergarten is due to open on the corner of Hickford and Borrie streets in October, making the already busy intersection even busier, Stafford said.

The footpath in front of the kindergarten feeds directly onto two of the intersection’s four zebra crossings.

Crossing hand-in-hand with her five-year-old daughter on Wednesday afternoon, parent Cathy Pers said she was surprised when council removed the roundabout. “I don’t know why [they did],” she said, as cars rushed through.

“People seemed to know what they were doing more.”

Darebin Council said it has adopted a new road safety investment framework, which includes specific criteria for roads within 150 metres of kindergartens.

On Tuesday, it agreed on what projects it will prioritise for upgrades for the whole of Darebin area, including installing more raised safety platforms along Hickford Street, between Cheddar Road and Borrie Street, to further improve safety in the school precinct.

The list of upgrades for Darebin will be rolled out over the next four to six years.