Speed figures ‘improving’

Mosman Daily

Thursday 18 September 2004

by JANE IGOE

LESS than one per cent of motorists travelling past Middle Harbour Public School are caught speeding despite recent publicity which might suggest otherwise.

RTA figures show speeding outside the school has been dramatically reduced and most motorists are complying with the restrictions.

Pedestrian Council chairman Harold Scruby said RTA figures showed that, of approximately 800,000 cars passing the school over a five-week period, only 4689 had been booked less than one per cent.

He said figures taken before the speed camera was installed would have shown about 30 per cent of cars speeding. Before 1995 the area was in a 60km/h zone.

“The Mosman figures actually show the cameras are working and that 99.44 per cent of motorists are being very responsible travelling outside the school,” Mr Scruby told the Daily.

He said each day, of the thousands of cars crossing the Spit Bridge, a large percentage were finding short-cuts to avoid Military Rd and Macpherson St had now become a “secondary arterial main road” feeding across the Harbour Bridge and tunnel into the city.

“Of course there is room for improvement but the statistics are actually looking very good.”
Mr Scruby said the number of speeding drivers could be further reduced with the installation of effective flashing warning signs outside the school.

“There is little doubt the community favours 40km/h zones outside schools and they do not seem to have a problem with enforcement either,” he said.

“But what they do want to see is equity and fairness.

“The flashing lights will remove the objection that it is just revenue raising by the government.”

Of the 2000 schools in the state, 10 have speed cameras placed outside.

“If we had the statistics for the other schools on main arterial roads that do not have speed cameras they would show 10 times this number of speeding motorists.”

Mosman engineer Brian Leckey said his assessment of the situation outside the school was the vast majority of motorists were “doing the right thing”.

“The RTA is looking at improving signs and the fences outside the school should be installed in the near future,” he said.