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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-06-06 Daily Xml
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RED-LIGHT CAMERAS

The Hon. S.W. KEY (Ashford) (14:02): My question is to the Minister for Road Safety. Minister, would you inform the house about what the government is doing to improve safety and wellbeing on South Road near the Richmond Primary School?

The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN (Napier—Minister for Finance, Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (14:03): I thank the member for Ashford for her question and acknowledge her vigorous advocacy to improve road safety in her electorate. I am pleased to inform the house the government will install a red-light camera at the pedestrian crossing on South Road servicing Richmond Primary School. The site has been assessed by the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure as being a suitable location. The design for the site has commenced and the installation is scheduled for later this year.

Investigation of the site found that more than 40,000 vehicles passed through the pedestrian crossing each day and many of these vehicles are heavy transport. The school council and the member for Ashford have made convincing representations for a red-light safety camera at this location. Parents and children attending Richmond Primary School did not feel the pedestrian crossing on South Road was totally effective in its own right to ensure safety on such a busy road.

In March this year I was informed by the member for Ashford that Richmond Primary has a teacher on crossing duty every morning and evening, as the school believes it is too dangerous for the children themselves to be acting as crossing monitors. The duty teacher wears a high visibility vest and carries a mobile phone or memo book to record any traffic incidents which are then reported to SAPOL. The member for Ashford advised me that many of the incidents are missed, as protecting children at this busy site is the teacher's priority.

Red-light speed safety cameras enforce detection of both red-light and speeding offences and improve the safety of intersections by deterring drivers from running red lights and speeding. Additionally, evaluation of red-light camera enforcement in Australia and overseas has shown it is clearly effective in reducing casualty crashes at intersections. The vigour with which the member for Ashford has prosecuted the case for a red-light camera at this location is recognised in the outcome she and the Richmond Primary School community have achieved. The presence of the camera will enhance the safety of young people crossing this busy section of South Road for years to come.

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