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A fatal accident on the Goolma Road has renewed calls to upgrade the notorious mobile black spot for motorist safety.
A 55-year-old Quakers Hill man died on Sunday when his Triumph motorcycle collided with a Toyota Yaris about ten kilometres west of Gulgong.
The uninjured driver of the Toyota, a 68-year-old woman, was taken to Mudgee Hospital for mandatory tests and a report will be prepared for the Coroner.
Trish Murray lives nearby at Guntawang, 18 kilometres from Goolma, and receives one signal bar ten metres from her house.
In 15 years she has come across many accidents on the road.
We asked: How is your mobile service?
“It’s not a joke. Something has to be done about the mobile service,” she said.
“I have come across an accident and had to drive back to my driveway to contact emergency services.
“I’ve got 53 acres; stick a tower on the top of my hill.”
She said during medical emergencies at her home she has driven to hospital rather than waiting for paramedics who find it difficult to locate the property and cannot make contact.
“If you do have an accident or come across an accident on that road you’ve got to find signal. Sometimes you don’t get that ‘SOS ONLY’, we can’t even get that, there’s nothing, it’s black.”
In June last year the federal government announced $6.40 million for new or upgraded mobile base stations in the region, including Goolma.
Construction was to begin in 2015 over three years.
Federal member for Parkes, Mark Coulton’s office was contacted for comment.
In a statement the Gulgong VRA said mobile phone coverage in the area should be addressed as a matter of urgency.