The council is seeking public feedback on the proposal, which would prioritise traffic travelling on High Street, general manager Michael Stretton said.

He said there had been a number of near misses involving cars and children in the area, as the road is a key crossing point for pupils at East Launceston Primary School.

“This intersection has been a concern within the community for a number of years,” Mr Stretton said.

As a result of consultation with locals and options analysis, two pedestrian crossing points are proposed to “meet the needs of all stakeholders”.

One would be across Howick Street, on the western side of High Street, while the second would cross High Street from the corner of Howick Street.

A number of changes to the islands and kerbs in the area are also proposed.

“There is also a number of challenges for vehicles travelling from Howick Street out on to High Street,” Mr Stretton said.

“Not only is the approach difficult due to the gradient of the road, poor line of sight for motorists turning both left and right onto High Street means this is a particularly unsafe intersection.”

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The plan would see “loops”, metal coils in the ground, installed to help determine when the traffic lights should change.

“High Street is an extremely important traffic route for Launceston motorists, it carries a large volume of vehicle movements on a daily basis,” Mr Stretton said.

“This will remain a priority stretch of road in terms of the timing of the traffic signals.”

High Street carries an average of 14,000 vehicles per day, according to the council’s most recent traffic data.

“Ultimately our priority is the safety of pedestrians, particular school children in the area, and making this a much safer area for everyone.”

Council officers hope to have the project completed this financial year but it is dependent on public feedback and suppliers.

Launceston residents are being encouraged to have their say on the proposal on the city council’s community engagement website Your Voice Your Launceston.