Councillor Kevin Duffy requested traffic counts to compare the Glenroi Avenue intersection with Endsleigh Avenue, Edward Street, McLachlan Street and Cox Avenue after NSW Roads and Maritime Services recommended median strips would be enough to safely guide vehicles in and out of a 7-Eleven service station now under construction opposite Red Rooster.

It also rejected the notion of moving Kinross Wolaroi School’s pedestrian lights to the intersection.

Amid concerns the median strips would force traffic onto Glenroi Avenue, the council carried out the counts during April, which found Glenroi Avenue had the highest overall number of traffic movements in both directions, despite being the only one in the list without traffic lights.

The number of vehicles heading north, or towards the CBD, was also the highest of the five, while the number of southern movements ranked third after McLachlan Street and Edward Street.

Cr Duffy said the numbers spoke for themselves.

“The RMS says the numbers aren’t high enough to justify [traffic lights], but there’s three others who’ve got them with less traffic - the council and the RMS have erred in some way by not enforcing traffic lights here,” he said.

“This place [the 7-Eleven] is going to be 24 hours a day and they’re competitive with the fuel prices - they’re probably the cheapest fuel in Bathurst there, so one might tend to think the traffic might double.”

Cr Duffy said with amalgamation with Blayney and Cabonne councils likely and imminent, it was critical for an administrator to act on the matter.

Councillor Reg Kidd said action was needed before the petrol station was completed.

“Whether the best solution is lights or a roundabout or a half-roundabout, the type of thing you see in Canberra, if we leave it as it is, we know there’s going to be a problem,” he said.