Concerns over speed on busy rural road

"I don't believe all traffic is travelling at 80kmh past our school." Donna Macmillan, Colyton School office administrator

Concerns for child safety are growing as the volume of heavy vehicles speeding past a Manawatu school increases.

Residents in Colyton are calling for solutions after noticing a rise in traffic using the town’s main road to get to and from Ashhurst, prompting officials to conduct a traffic study.

Colyton’s central hub was rezoned in 2009 so that a restricted speed limit, from 100kmh to 80kmh, was extended past Colyton School.

But office administrator Donna Macmillan said that speed limit should be reduced even further.

Traffic outside the school had always been an issue, but little work to minimise its risk to pupils had occurred, she said.

‘‘In town you’ve got cars going 50kmh that have to go down to 30kmh,’’ Macmillan said.

‘‘I don’t believe all traffic is travelling at 80kmh past our school.

‘‘[The speed limit] not low enough.’’

Colyton Community Committee chairman Stu Bradbury was uncertain whether the volume of traffic was due to the Manawatu Gorge closure.

‘‘I think the question is, when there’s kids around after school, is 80kmh enough?’’

Resident Graham Conlon believed electronic speed signs on Colyton Rd around 9am and 3pm would encourage motorists to reduce their speed.

‘‘That way you’re only looking at half an hour at the beginning and end of the school day.’’

The community committee had also floated the idea of creating a car park on a nearby side road to encourage drop-offs in a quiet area. The idea was to build a walkway from that area to the school.

Manawatu District Council roading team leader Brent Holmes said the council would be undertaking traffic counts to confirm the volume and speed of traffic had increased.

‘‘The feedback is anecdotal at this point, however, the verbal advice certainly indicates a trend that warrants further examination,’’ Holmes said.

‘‘The district roads are narrower, have less useable shoulder and are undulating, making them less forgiving if a mistake is made when compared to a highway.’’

The council’s roading team had recently inspected the route from Halcombe through to Ashhurst and had found no obvious damage.

Its last data collection was late last year, just before the gorge closed.

Holmes said the pending survey would indicate any trends or road deterioration.

No additional New Zealand Transport Agency assistance had been offered, Holmes said.

In response to a series of truck crashes in the region over the past 12 months, Holmes said the council was also installing rumble strips on the edge lines around Manawatu.