Page 772 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 12 March 1991
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the way in Australia. For example, my department has led the development of a number of significant road safety measures, such as school zones. We are all familiar with the school zone system that we have here in the ACT, with a reduced speed limit around a school. We were the first place in Australia to do that, and it has proved to be very effective.
We also have an off-road cycle network, again to cater not only for recreational cyclists but also for the school children who use pushbikes as the prime method of getting to school. Of course, we also have the traffic calming measures - a phrase that I heard Mr Jensen mention through the debate. Along those lines, I include such things as roundabouts where here in the ACT - - -
Mr Stevenson: A wonderful idea. There should be more of them.
MR DUBY: A wonderful idea - but we were the first place in Australia to introduce the concept of roundabouts for traffic management. And, as you are well aware, that whole concept has now been adopted Australia-wide. When they were first introduced, many people said - probably in response to one of your surveys, Mr Stevenson - that they were dangerous and inefficient and nobody understood how the heck they worked.
Mr Collaery: Impure and immoral.
MR DUBY: I am not so sure about that. I do not quite understand Mr Stevenson's assertions that the use of and "inappropriate and impractical pedestrian islands painted on Canberra streets" has led to dangers to drivers and pedestrians. The simple fact is that these new traffic arrangements have been implemented to improve pedestrian and driver safety right throughout the system. I think it is also worth pointing out that, contrary to the results of what he describes as "our surveys", significant support has been received from residents, from national safety groups and from recognised industry experts for the works that have been completed, particularly around some of the schools that have been the subject of some of the debate as part of the schools reshaping program.
The safe movement of pedestrians, particularly children travelling to school, has always been a high priority of the Alliance Government. Indeed, I think a direct indication of that would be the very fact that we are now in the process of finalising the establishment of a road safety task force that will liaise with concerned parents and citizens in connection with the schools reshaping program to ensure that the safety provisions in place to cover children moving from one area to another as a result of this reshaping program are paramount.
Mr Stevenson: What about using them as a footpath in the middle of the road?
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