MEDIA RELEASE
14 February 2007
School Zone Flashing Lights a Complete Farce
The situation with the government's expensive and supposedly reliable new school zone flashing lights is rapidly developing into a complete farce.
1. RELIABILITY
- The new lights on the Princes Highway Blakehurst either side of the Mater Dei Primary School were not working on Monday 12th February as previously advised..
- I took the Roads Minister's senior policy advisor, Darren Holder, on an inspection tour of the obscured lights installations yesterday afternoon. The flashing lights on Taren Point Rd Caringbah both sides of Endeavour High School were not working when we got there at 3.30pm, nor was the large "40" sign that is suspended over the road. Photos attached. (High-res versions also available).
- A local resident claimed that they had not been working in the morning either and had not been working on several previous occasions.
- Several people stated this morning that they are still not working after over 24 hours. So much for expensive back-to-base monitoring.
- The April 2006 report on the previous 3-year trial found on p. vi that the lights (that cost $12,000 each) had an average failure rate of once every 9 months. As a result the Roads Minister said in a press release on 21 May 2006:
"Mr Roozendaal said the trial of flashing lights at 43 schools had found the existing technology could reduce speeds but was unreliable. We can do better than the flashing lights that were trialled - we need to put in place better and more effective technology... My goal is to have the latest technology as soon as possible."
- The new $36,000 lights have only been operating for a few weeks yet there have already been multiple breakdowns in the St George area alone.
- How many other faults have there been across the 100 schools in the 3 weeks of operation?
- Why will the government not admit that all technology, no matter how expensive, is subject to problems from time to time?
- When will they acknowledge that cost-effective lights at all schools that work most of the time is better than very expensive lights at a few schools that still do not work all the time?
2. PROTECTING AN EXPENSIVE SECRET
In order to prove that back-to-base monitoring could also be done much cheaper than the current RTA systems, I recently asked the RTA for the specifications so that I could attempt to add the capability to the flashing light signs in Peakhurst/Lugarno. The RTA declined my request, claiming the information was "commercial in confidence". It would seem that they do not want to know if there is a cheaper alternative.
3. FLASHING LIGHTS KIT
I will shortly be releasing a school zone flashing lights kit for sale via the Internet. The kits will be sold by a third-party operator and I will receive no money from them.
They are intended to be installed by individual schools or P and C associations on private property immediately adjacent to the RTA school zone signs. Individual schools can thus determine how many signs they want. Being on private property the signs will be out of the reach of the RTA but will be clearly visible to motorists.
Numerous shops and businesses already have flashing lights or flashing neon signs etc. out the front to attract attention so they cannot be deemed illegal. The RTA would have to ban all such lights that simply distract drivers, if they wanted to ban these ones which are designed to protect children.
The kit will consist of a replica of a 40kmh school zone sign complete with flashing lights that operate at the required times. The lights will be driven by a 7-day timer similar to my original installations, meaning they will be fully automatic except that they will have to be turned off for school holidays four times per year and adjusted for daylight savings twice per year.
They will include "back-to-base monitoring" in the form of several hundred students, parents and teachers at the school who will keep an eye on them.
I anticipate that the kits will be sold for $200 per sign plus postage and handling.
Taren Pt Rd faulty southbound lights
Taren Pt Rd faulty northbound lights
Taren Pt Rd faulty northbound lights
For more information contact:
Peter Olsen
11 Maple St
Lugarno 2210
or
13/55 The Grand Pde
Brighton-le-Sands 2216
0414-538-404.