40km/h is here to stay in four South West towns

Four towns along South Western Highway will now have their speed limit reduced from 50kmh to 40kmh on the main street after a successful trial period. Transport Minister Rita Saffioti on Friday announced the 40kmh speed limit was here to stay in Boyanup, Donnybrook, Balingup and Bridgetown, with each experiencing considerable road train traffic with up to 6000 vehicles passing through the town centres daily. The trial period ran from the end of January to May this year following a petition and calls from local councils, residents and businesses for a lower speed limit on the towns’ main streets to help boost safety. The announcement received mixed feedback online with several residents claiming the new limit was too slow while many others welcomed the news, saying pedestrian and children’s safety was the priority. Road Safety Minister Michelle Roberts said the objective of the trials was to slow drivers down through the four town centres to improve driver and pedestrian safety and reduce road trauma. “Slower speed limits should not be seen as an inconvenience,” Ms Roberts said. “They affect travel times by one or two minutes at the most, but ensure a greater quality of life for residents and visitors.” Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said the State Government was attempting to find the right balance between the needs of both drivers and pedestrians. “We listened to the community on what they wanted to see happen with the speed limit and we delivered on it,” she said. “I’m pleased that pedestrian and road user safety will be improved with the permanent change to this speed limit.” Collie-Preston MLA Mick Murray chaired the technical working group which oversaw the speed limit trial and said the speed limit drop was strongly supported by the local community. The group, made up of representatives from local government, Main Roads and the Road Safety Commission, met in August to review data collected from the trial and community feedback. “Members of the community have contacted me countless times in recent years to raise concerns about the increased vehicle movements through their towns and to ask for the speed limit to be lowered,” Mr Murray said. “I know our towns will be safer as a result.”

40km/h is here to stay in four South West towns

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