Safety concern sparks petition
Emily Tekanawa is a lone voice but she’s hoping to rally the Tokoroa community behind the idea to install speed bumps on busy roads.
The Dalmeny St resident is ‘‘tired’’ of people speeding in Tokoroa.
‘‘ You get so many people who speed up and down these streets.’’
The mother has started a petition which she plans on taking to the South Waikato District Council.
‘‘What I planned to do is to work on it as long as I can so have enough solid ground to take it to the council.’’
Tekanawa said she is afraid to let her daughter walk to school by herself when she gets older.
‘‘I see a lot of people walking their children to school and they shouldn’t have to.’’
‘‘I’m a parent, I know a lot of parents feel the same.’’
She has just over 40 signatures from residents on her street and with the help of Janet Blower she hoped to get more.
‘‘If I had the majority of the community, I’m more likely to be heard,’’ Tekanawa said.
Council road safety co-ordinator, Robert Cathie, said a petition would ‘‘probably’’ prompt the council to dis- cuss the idea.
However he said speed bumps are not an ideal solution.
‘‘In staff’s view, generally, speed bumps are often not the best solution.
‘‘They do have their place in some circumstances but they are by no means an over-arching fix.’’
He said it could damage cars, cause noise from cars going over the bump and driving away and it could also slow down emergency vehicles.
The cost of the physical works to install one speed bump is estimated between $ 800-$ 1000 with ‘‘ high’’ maintenance costs.
Hinau St had a speed bump installed in the early 1990s.
Cathie said staff recall it was put there because of concern over speeding.
Complaints have been made in other areas of town, particularly on Thompson St and Kowhai Place in Tokoroa.
When complaints are made, the council places a speed indication device.
One was placed in Dalmeny in the past but the average speed clocked was 40kmh over two weeks, Cathie said.
The data is passed on to police for speeding control plans.