27 June 2012

Huffy Zed defends his lonely school zone policy

27 June 2012 | johnboy

As policy platforms go “install flashing school zone speed limit signs at every ACT school” is a remarkably narrow one.*

But the other kids in the Assembly have been making fun of it and Zed is not happy about it.

ACT Labor today prioritised politics over school safety, by coming out against the Canberra Liberals’ commitment to install flashing school zone speed limit signs at every ACT school. ACT Opposition Leader Zed Seselja said that this is a commitment which has proven effective in other states, and parents have every right to question ACT Labor’s motives.

“To attack any measure which improves school safety is disgraceful, and shows ACT Labor is far more concerned with politics and attacking the Opposition than actually improving school safety,” Mr Seselja said today.

“Just this February alone, 95 drivers were caught speeding in school zones, around 16 per cent of all speeding cases that month. Installing flashing signs, as is done in New South Wales, will help remind drivers to slow down in school zones.

The real questions, unanswered to our knowledge are: What will it cost? And what will it actually achieve?

* The full list of Liberal Policies is available if you’re into that kind of thing

Join the conversation

All Comments

All Comments
Website Comments
Facebook Comments

LatestOldest

Aeek10:09 pm 27 Jun 12

South Australia is 25 during school hours OR when children present.
They also have 25 road work zones.

blub8:27 pm 27 Jun 12

ACT school speed limits are all day, where other states are only in the morning and afternoon, so if you’re driving at a random hour you’re more likely to get confused. If you’re confused here, I stand by my previous comment of you should be paying attention to the signs anyway (the time on NSW signs is small enough to warrant a flashing light).

Just wait till the greens realise the wasted energy….

EvanJames2:29 pm 27 Jun 12

Quangers have flashing signs at all the schools now. ACT Gov’t could use its greater numbers and conduct a raid, although I’m not convinced there’s more ACT Police than Quangers Plod. And despite the flashing signs, the cops are doing good business outside the school on Yass Road.

thatsnotme1:49 pm 27 Jun 12

Well, the budget was over $50,000 to put up a dozen or so non-flashing signs along William Hovell drive when its speed limit changed. So let’s say $5,000 a sign. Double that (at least) for special flashing signs, and say that over the 150ish schools in the ACT, each would have four.

That gives us a cost of 6 million dollars.

I’d like to think that this type of napkin maths is completely off the track, and it couldn’t possibly cost that much, but this is ACT Government here, and I can’t believe the Liberals would suddenly begin bringing projects in on time and under budget…

Featured Businesses

Electricians

True Connection Electrical

Since 2014, True Connection Electrical have been servicing residential and small commercial clients with reliable, trustworthy and top-quality electrical work.

Find out more