West Torrens Council’s bid to have Tapleys Hills Rd, West Beach speed limit lowered fails
A request to have motorists slow down on a busy stretch of Tapleys Hill Rd has again failed. Should the speed limit stay at 80km/h?
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The State Government has again knocked back West Torrens Council’s request to have the speed limit on Tapleys Hill Road, West Beach, lowered to make it safer for nearby residents.
Mayor Michael Coxon wrote to former Transport Minister Stephan Knoll in July, asking for the speed limit between Sir Donald Bradman Drive and Africaine Rd to be dropped from 80km/h to 60km/h.
“I can assure you that the residents along this section of Tapleys Hills Road are extremely concerned for their safety when accessing their properties and on their behalf I implore you and the department to take the appropriate action to reduce the speed limit accordingly,” Mr Coxon wrote.
He said this was latest in a number of requests to Mr Knoll and previous State Government ministers to have the speed limit lowered.
However, Mr Knoll in his response ruled out a change to the speed limit, saying the Transport Department considered 80km/h “appropriate”.
“As mentioned previously, apart from modifications to the existing HarbourTown access and the redeveloped service station on the corner of West Beach Road, there has been no other significant change to direct roadside access on to Tapleys Hill Road in this vicinity for the past 10 years,” Mr Knoll said.
“Taking into account the minimal abutting roadside development, continuing low crash history, low number of direct access points and the function of Tapleys Hill Road as a high standard arterial road, the department considers the current 80km/h speed limit is appropriate …”
Mr Knoll wrote that SAPOL data of a fixed speed camera installed on the road in February 2012 to catch motorists travelling north showed only 0.01 per cent of drivers were speeding.
“Hence, the majority of vehicles are currently complying with the existing 80km/h speed limit,” he said.
Mr Knoll said the department would continue to monitor the stretch of road.
On Boxing Day last year, six carloads of shoppers heading to Harbour Town were involved in a crash on this stretch of road, after a rear-ender sparked a domino effect.
No one was injured but four cars needed to be towed from the scene.