I emailed the previous road minister in July /05
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A letter in reply came on 19/10/05

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Well at least I got a reply.

"An independent research company" is evaluating the findings.

No mention of my independent idea about moving the fence at Kogarah.
I stood there and observed what went on at that school zone day after day for over a month.

But what does that fool in a santa suit know.

Still it's on public record here.

At long last I received information back in answer to my request under the Freedom of information act, but alas it's taken from 2/8/05 to 20/10/05 to get here and it's the wrong stuff.

Not very helpful, but I'll bat on, it just shows up another level of bumbling incompetence.
My request was simple ,straight forward and in English and what happens?
My contact was apologetic about it and will resubmit it, he assumed the other department would get it right.
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The Cross city tunnel continues to make news, and has been a great source of newspaper cartoons.
A three week toll free period,that will boost the number of paying customers later.
The premier says that tunnel contract is unbreakable.

If drivers don't use the tunnel, it loses money, and the owners aren't in it to loose money and would be happy to cut their losses, tear up the contract and bail.

Driving Down Tudor Ave Bonnet Bay at 2.45pm last friday I saw something flashing in the distance, it attracted my attention and it was lights flashing on the school zone sign. The photo doesn't show this but as I took a couple of photos cars drove past at the regulation 40 km/h (as far as I can judge), no doubt these drivers saw the lights too.

There is a crest in the road at the school so there is great need to make drivers aware of the school and children.
Although my photo doesn't pick up the flash, drivers do see it and slow down

Flashing lights work.

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School zone cameras were in the news again with one in Mosman featuring as the top money earner.
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How many of the drivers caught out at the Mosman school zone camera,deliberately broke the law.
If there were flashing lights to make drivers aware that it was school zone time would the camera takings be different?

24,243 drivers paying $2,979,935 in fines in one year!

THAT'S NEARLY 3 MILLION DOLLARS (AND DEMERIT POINTS) IN TWELVE MONTHS AND THAT DOESN'T SLOW THE CARS.

I don't know if this is a variable speed camera but even so, how many children were put at risk by these speeding motorists?

By the number fined it appears that something is not working outside this school.

I see the twin Kogarah camera takings are down about $300,000 and the number of drivers detected speeding down from 45,500 to 31,527 this last year.

So that leaves up to 31,527 drivers ignoring the school zone and speed cameras and endanger children.

The wait for my Freedom of information request concerning the Kogarah and Gymea school zones is now in it's third month.
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When I first applied 2nd August I was told there was a backlog, which sounded a little like the "as soon as possible" reply to my Febuary e-mail to Mr Costa, which still hasn't arrived.
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The Cross city tunnel is still making front page news with the ministers involved, or landed with the problem passing this hot potato backwards and forwards.
I e-mailed this to a major Sydney newspaper
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My literary effort didn't make the letters page,but a least someone has a similar sense of humor at The Telegraph because 2 days later this was the cartoon.
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There are a reported 30.000 dead (at least) and about 4 MILLION people homeless as a result of an earthquake in South Asia and this is in the paper this morning.
$40 million is spent on an elephant enclosure where 5 elephants will lead a pampered existance and this is called "cruelty"and this exibit which would bring in much needed funds and give Kids a "real" close up view of these wonderful animals.

What a load of pachyderm dung
(I mean the story, not what I've written.)

I've been told (Hi big sister) that new Zealand is to introduce 40 kmh school zones.
The experience with school zones in NSW is not what could be called a good role model, and motorists over there will soon realise this, when the fines and the demerit points roll in.

Let's hope that our Kiwi cousins don't blame us.

The idea of slowing down cars outside schools is a great idea for the childrens safety, but unless "flashing lights" are added onto the signs to let drivers know WHEN it's school zone time, it won't work.

Older drivers as I've written many times,are most at risk of missing "times", and let's face some of our more senior citizens though very good drivers, not only don't know what time it is, don't know what DAY it is.

No disrespect intended.

Good drivers will always slow down, but need to know WHEN to slow down.

To send someone a fine 4 weeks later doesn't help to slow the "speeding" driver on the day, flashing lights would.

Drivers that speed through a school zone when warning lights are flashing, should be taken off the road.
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Something a little different.

Santa's mate Jesse on elf Amber's front lawn.
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The Reason for school zone santa is explained in the Category "About school zone santa."
The other pages and categories I've posted are mostly santa's thoughts on other road related subjects while waiting for RTA decisions on school zones
The RTA were having a "flashing light" trial at selected sites to finish end of June.
What's happened to the results.
Too embarrassing maybe?
Maybe warning lights DO slow drivers

A elderly lady (82yo) in Brigton lee sands I worked for this morning, had never been booked until, you guess it, school zones.

She thought it would be a good idea to have flashing lights to make drivers aware when it's school zone time.

How many other older drivers who wouldn't dream of deliberatly breaking the law get caught out at school zones?

From today's paper.
Another candidate for wheel clamps.
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I would imagine if he is convicted of this alleged offence he'll get a bit of weekend dentention and some time added to his disqualification.

The lady that wrote this "To the editor" letter that makes a lot of sense.
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Of course people would say that's not why RBT's were set up, but something has to be done.

Now cameras are to be used to catch drivers abusing the bus only lanes . It'll cost over $200 and three demerit points and it's another way to
add to the number of disqualified drivers on the road.

There has to be a concerted campaign to detect and deter unlicensed drivers from driving.

Hi to new visitors.
There hasn't been much on the school zone question lately , but it's not forgotten.
I've made a few phone calls and next month there should be more to report.
Here's a recent letter in our local paper.
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.........................................................................Drivers should never "zoom" as children cross the road and if there was advance warning of school zone time(eg. flashing lights) most drivers would slow down even if there were no children.
Punish those that don't.

Now and then Police catch drivers by parking out of sight over the crest of Waratah st at this school zone but it doesn't slow cars on the day,flashing lights would