Hoons rampant on Lygon St

Cars speeding and revving their engines along Lygon St increased tenfold since lockdown ended, according to local residents.

Carlton Residents’ Association president Antoinette Sagaria said hooning was a constant problem in Carlton and endangered pedestrians.

“Lygon St is supposed to be a place where people can walk around, get an ice cream and enjoy a quiet evening, so that kind of dangerous, anti-social behaviour can ruin atmosphere,” Ms Sagaria said.

“We want Lygon St to be a welcoming place.”

Carlton resident Stephanie Chia also said since lockdowns had eased, the hooning had started up again on Lygon, Queensberry and Lonsdale streets.

“It turns up like clockwork every night from 8 to 9pm and can go past midnight some days,” Ms Chia said.

“On the weekends it’s even worse so I decided to invest in a really good pair of earplugs. But it’s a shame that I can’t indulge in a nice, silent evening.”

Due to the severity of the hooning, Ms Chia said she was looking to move out of Carlton.

“I’ve spoken to another resident who was moving out last weekend who agreed that it was a major issue, and I’m going to start looking at moving out this year,” Ms Chia said.

Ms Sagaria said the residents’ association was currently lobbying council to instate noise cameras along the street to deter hoons.

“The UK has implemented noise cameras in many of their busy streets which monitor noise levels and catch cars which are revving their engines,” she said.

“We’re hoping the City of Melbourne might consider something similar.”   

The City of Melbourne said it would consider implementing noise cameras based on community feedback. The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) also plays a central role in monitoring noise pollution from vehicles and has the power to issue infringements.

Victoria Police did not respond to a request for comment •