Kids win go-slow
Letters bring speed cut
A PUBLIC plea from concerned primary school students has driven road authorities to approve a speed reduction of 20km/h along a busy stretch of road.
More than 40 Northern Bay College grade 5 students penned letters to VicRoads and the City of Greater Geelong in June pleading for the speed on Purnell Rd, outside the school’s Wexford campus, to be lowered.
Their plea appears to have been answered after VicRoads provided in-principle approval for a section of the Corio road’s existing 60km/h speed to be lowered to 40km/h in coming months.
Teacher Lindy Brand said the idea to campaign for change came about when students were studying motivational writing.
“Together we realised Purnell Rd is a road we all use to travel to school. It is unsafe at 60km/h and very busy,” Ms Brand said.
Soon after their letters were delivered, the students received a reply from VicRoads’ managers.
“They were so thrilled to receive a response,” Ms Brand said. Students were even more delighted when they were told the speed limit would be changed, she said.
Council’s acting director of city services Peter Godfrey said the council’s initial application for a speed reduction along Purnell Rd was rejected. A June application, backed by students, for the speed to be reduced directly outside the school was reconsidered and provisional approved was granted.
City of Greater Geelong will install 40km/h speed signs along the stretch of road in the near future.
There have been a number of bad crashes on and near Purnell Rd, including one that killed 11-year-old Ebenezer Nur in 2013. of the Thames. His father, Prince William, accompanied him on his special day, but his mother, Catherine, who is pregnant with her third child, remained too ill with extreme morning sickness and was unable to attend.
Catherine is thought to have remained at home at Kensington Palace.
“Unfortunately, the Duchess of Cambridge remains unwell, and will not be able to accompany Prince George on his first day of school,’’ a Palace spokesman said.
Prince William helped his son out of the car and held his hand as they walked into the school, with William carrying his son’s satchel.
On a crisp London autumn day, the little prince was wearing a uniform of navy Bermuda shorts and a V-neck navy jumper.
Prince George, the third in line to the throne, was greeted as he arrived by Thomas’s head of lower school Helen Haslem, who then escorted the royal pair to Prince George’s reception classroom. Ms Haslem shook hands with George and with Prince William before taking George’s other hand and walking him into the classroom.