Would allowing seaplanes to land on the lake be a nuisance? Photo: File.
Our opinion writers have struck a chord with many Canberra road users, who agreed with Zoya Patel that Canberra drivers are becoming more aggressive.
Hundreds of readers commented after Zoya asked, “Is it just me, or are drivers getting more aggressive? Are we becoming complacent about how risky dangerous driving is and the consequences it can have? Do we need to change the way we monitor and police the roads, or is it time I invest in a dashcam and assume the responsibility myself?”
There were plenty of specific examples of bad driving and more thoughts on whether this is a general trend.
OpenYourMind said: “What I find amusing with this discussion is that when the topic of cyclists is raised, there is the usual noise about cyclists breaking the law, eg ‘I once saw a cyclist run a red light or I once saw a cyclist riding two abreast’. Certainly my anecdotal evidence is that such events are relatively rare.
“Meanwhile a mention of crappy car driving and there’s 231 responses clamouring to say how bad Canberra car drivers are. Remind me, where’s the problem?”
And Frustrated wrote: “I have always felt Canberra drivers were agressive, self centred and rude. However, it is definitely worse now, if that was possible since the population has grown so much in the past two decades”.
We asked Are Canberra drivers becoming more aggressive? A total of 1138 readers voted
Your choices were to vote No, it’s all relative and our traffic is no worse than elsewhere. This received a total of 29 per cent, or 325 votes.
Alternatively, you could vote Yes, I see dangerous driving on our roads frequently. This received a total of 71 per cent, or 813 votes.
This week we’re wondering whether we should allow seaplanes to land on Lake Burley Griffin.
After a test flight last December, the NCA is considering a proposal for four daily services between Rose Bay and Canberra, two of which would land on and take off from the lake, tying up at the dock near the National Museum of Australia.
The test flight involved a single-engine Cessna Caravan, but the company plans to use the bigger, two-engine amphibious Twin Otter operated by two pilots and carrying a maximum of 14 passengers.
The Lake Guardians and other lake users have raised concerns that the plans would lead to a qualitative change in the use of the Lake, including fears over noise pollution and interruption to well-established recreational sailing and other activities.
Capital Retro wrote: “As long as the government charges the operators landing/takeoff fees and docking (parking) fees at the same rate as the Canberra Airport does I don’t have a problem with it. Maybe down the track a carbon tax to offset the exhaust emissions should be applied.”
But Ross Bryant said: “Years of no powerboats and now they want to land seaplanes. Wow, that’s a pretty big turnaround.”
Our poll this week asks:
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