Plan to put brakes on hoons

Speed cushions and crossings will be installed to stop cars crashing into a Porirua school.

Mana College students watched in shock on August 14 as an out-of-control Subaru Legacy station wagon left the road, skidded across a grass berm and smashed through a fence outside school buildings on Awarua St.

The car was unregistered, and three people fled the scene on foot.

Porirua City Council’s transport manager, Mike Evans, said staff would fasttrack the installation of traffic-calming measures, including six speed cushions and two pedestrian crossings.

‘‘A car was seen travelling at 100kmh on the 50kmh speed limit road before it crashed near the Porirua school, and we want to take steps to reduce the traffic speed as soon as we can,’’ Evans said.

Two pedestrian crossings – one outside Porirua School and another near Hukatai St – will be installed, with centre refuge islands and yellow beacons that will be lit at night.

The six speed cushions will go along Awarua St between Titahi Bay Rd and Kotuku St.

Evans said the work should be finished by the end of September.

Resident Adrienne Tibble saw the recent crash, and said residents had long pushed for road safety measures.

‘‘To have our concerns recognised and to see work begin will be huge for our Elsdon and Takapuwahia families and community – especially for the safety of our kids walking to and from school.’’

Last Tuesday, she heard a car ‘‘boosting from Takapuwahia Drive towards Elsdon, screeching around the corner’’.

‘‘It had smashed through the fence at Mana College. I saw a couple of Mana College girls near the school driveway and several other schoolkids walking down Awarua St on both sides.’’