St Kilda nurse’s plea to overturn ‘confusing’ speeding fine
A nurse and first-time mother who cut her maternity leave short to help her colleagues on the COVID-19 frontline has been stung with an “unfair and confusing” speeding fine while driving home from a shift. Here’s why Victoria Police say it won’t revoke it.
Inner South
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A nurse who cut her maternity leave short to help her colleagues on the COVID-19 frontline has been hit with an “unfair and confusing” fine after she was caught doing 49km/h outside a school last month.
Elsie Ruijgrok was on her way back from work at a major Melbourne hospital on a Tuesday afternoon in September when she was stung with a $207 fine on Punt Rd, near the Wesley College junior campus.
The St Kilda nurse, who went back to work early when her husband lost his job as a result of the pandemic and hospitals were under intense pressure from staff shortages, said she was “shocked and frustrated” school speed zones still applied during the stage 4 remote learning restrictions.
“The sign says 40km/h an hour on schools days, not ‘week days’,” she said.
“It doesn’t apply when kids aren’t there during school holidays and I assumed it wasn’t in operation while schools were closed during COVID.
“Nothing is normal at the moment, so why are school zones normal? I wouldn’t even have been driving if I hadn’t gone back to work.”
Ms Ruijgrok said she had tried to fight the fine but was told that it wouldn’t be revoked.
“I thought they’d show some leniency given this pandemic has changed everything — the world has completely changed but the rules have stayed the same,” she said.
“Nobody signed up to be part of a global pandemic.”
A Victoria Polices spokeswoman said school zone speed limits had remained in operation during the tough lockdown period as schools were not officially closed.
“Despite many students … learning from home, children of some essential workers were still attending the classroom,” she said.
The spokeswoman confirmed Ms Ruijgrok’s fine had been reviewed and did not meet the necessary criteria to have it withdrawn, including previous driving history and additional evidence supplied by the driver.
“Whether kids are walking or riding their bike to and from school, or getting out of a car to walk to the front gate, if a child is hit at greater than 40km/h they have very little chance of survival,” she said.
“Drivers are expected to abide by the signposted speed limit regardless of whether it is a permanent or flashing sign.”
Anyone who receives an infringement notice can apply for a review via the Fines Victoria website.
All reviews take into account driving history and any exceptional circumstances outlined.
Members of the community who receive a fine and are experiencing financial hardship have the ability to apply to pay by instalments.
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