30kph speed zones rolled out in Mid Canterbury

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:

The rollout of 30kph school speed zones is complete, but one Ashburton District councillor hopes there isn’t a rise in speed infringements as a result.

There has been some frustration with the introduction of the reduced speed around schools, and councillor Richard Wilson is concerned about a potential increase in motorists being fined for exceeding the 30kph limits the council has introduced.

Wilson was worried that because the permanent speed variation was implemented before the council could roll out variable speed signage to all schools immediately, it would be catching out motorists.

“Someone caught doing 42kph at 10pm past a school is not the spirit of why were are going to 30kph,” Wilson said.

The speed limit was now legally set at 30kph and motorists needed to adapt to the change, chief executive Hamish Riach said.

The speed zones were introduced to increase safety for school children.

Council data last year showed that the median speed on the district's urban streets was around 35kph.

The limits will be reviewed in future, with a view to potentially adding variable signs to the urban zones as funds become available.

Variable speed signs cost about $10,000 each, road manager Mark Chamberlain said.

A minor delay with the urban rollout was down to having nothing to hold them up as across the country there had been a lack of aluminium poles for the signs, Chamberlain said.

The signs are now all in place at urban schools, as well as at Lauriston and Dorie as the two rural schools have low traffic volumes outside of school drop-off and pick up and the average speed data showed it was close to 30kph anyway.

At the rural schools, the variable signs are in place at Longbeach School, Lagmhor School, Carew Peel Forest School, and Wakanui School.

The only two sites yet to have the 30kph zones implemented are under Waka Kotahi jurisdiction - with 30kph variable speed limits planned for the front of the three Methven schools and Ashburton Borough on SH77.

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