School Zone Santa .Com

 

 

The RMS installed new traffic lights at Loftus, a great idea as now traffic  can come in or out of the Royal National park more safely.

 

But it soon became obvious though by the number of accidents and the long skid marks from panic stopping, that drivers needed extra warning, especially coming up to the traffic lights from the South.

 

 

An example of skid marks which were renewed daily

 

 

One of the accidents, this one involving four cars

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I sent in an e-mail voicing my concern

 

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From: Hans Stephens

Sent: Tuesday, 6 November 2012 10:01 PM
To: 'office@gay.minister.nsw.gov.au'
Subject: Danger on the highway at Loftus

 Dear Minister Gay,

 The RMS has put in a new set of traffic lights at Farrell Ave and Princes Highway at Loftus.

 Great idea, but there is a big problem (apparently,) for traffic approaching these set of lights from the South.

 The lights are past a bend and judging by the numerous long skid marks there is a lot of panic stopping by trucks coming up behind traffic stopped for the lights.

 There were two warning trailer signs approaching the lights from the South and now there is one, and the panic stopping is happening with the warning sign/s.

 WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN THE LAST WARNING SIGN IS TAKEN AWAY?

 How long will it be before there is an accident with a mangled car wedged between two trucks?

 Could you please consider my suggestion of a set of flashing lights on the overhead signage already there to lessen the danger before something tragic happens?

 Yours faithfully

Hans Stephens

Kirrawee

 www.schoolzonesanta.com</span> ....................................................................................................................

I have deleted my full address and phone number from copies of emails

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 Back came.

From: Public Gay's Office_Email [mailto:Office@gay.minister.nsw.gov.au]
Sent: Friday, 9 November 2012 2:52 PM
To: Hans Stephens
Subject: RE: Danger on the highway at Loftus

 

Dear Mr Stephens

 

Thank you for your email and for raising this issue.

 

Roads and Maritime Services recently upgraded the existing traffic lights at Farnell Avenue & Princes Highway, as well as Rawson Avenue & Princes Highway. The upgrade at both sites consisted of removing the existing merge entries from both Farnell and Rawson Avenues onto the highway, and providing an exclusive entry for both. The works have recently been completed at Farnell and are still being finished off at Rawson.

 

It is intended to place permanent "flashing warning" lights on the approach to both new stop lights on the highway, that is southbound approaching Rawson and northbound approaching Farnell.

 

The lights at Rawson are expected to be installed shortly, with the lights at Farnell expected to be installed prior to Christmas.

  

Regards

 

Office of the Minister for Roads and Ports

The Hon. Duncan Gay MLC

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NB this line in the above email, this email dated  9th November

 

"The lights at Rawson are expected to be installed shortly, with the lights at Farnell expected to be installed prior to Christmas."

 

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Being ever helpful I replied

 

 From: Hans Stephens

Sent: Sunday, 11 November 2012 9:50 PM
To: 'Public Gay's Office_Email'
Subject: RE: Danger on the highway at Loftus

 Hi,

 Thank you for your prompt reply

 I’m relieved to hear there ware warning lights already planned for the new traffic lights at Loftus, I just hope that they are up and warning drivers before there is a bad accident.

  Last week a truck ran into the back of a tradesman van and there are yet more new skid marks after urgent braking as the photos that I took yesterday show..

 Could I suggest the warning sign trailer be moved to make it more visible from further back, as now it’s obscured by a large bush until you are quite near it.  

 

 

 .  The warning trailer sign obscured by the large bush behind the non working trailer sign. You can just see the grey tow ball hitch in this photo. 

 Skid marks are going right back to Armco fencing (on right) installed to protect the yet to be installed warning lights.

  Sorry to be an old woman about this, but if you ring the Sutherland Police I’m sure they have the same concerns about the present danger for traffic heading North at these lights.

 Regards Hans Stephens

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 …Now you can be forgiven for thinking that it's none of my business where they place trailer signs, but a little bit of common sense is needed as is not evident in the placing of very expensive, solar powered, flashing light, school zone signs.

Instead of putting the flashing lights on the sign on the middle medium strip  so they are visiable a long way back, some brain had them installed on the left hand sign (below the or sale sign)

 Instead of putting the flashing lights on the sign on the middle medium strip so they are visiable a long way back, some brain had them installed on the left hand sign  (behind the tree trunk)

 Other examples on

http://www.schoolzonesanta.com/index.php/jumped-the-gun

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 The remaining warning sign

 

 The warning sign (now not working)  with existing over road signage in background.

 

 

 

 The existing sign above the road I think suitable to place warning lights on to warn of the traffic lights up ahead around the curve.

 

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And things went from bad to worse because both trailer warning signs broke down

 

 

From: Hans Stephens

Sent: Tuesday, 11 December 2012 9:18 PM
To: 'office@gay.minister.nsw.gov.au'
Subject: warning of fault of warning trailer

 Hi,

I did express earlier my concerns of the dangerous approach from the south coming up to the new light on the Princes Highway at Farrell Ave Loftus and was advised that there are permanent warning signs planed  

 Meanwhile there are two trailer mounted warning signs to advise motorists of the new lights, but one hasn’t worked for weeks and the second hasn’t worked since at least last Saturday.

 Please pass this email on so this situation can be rectified, before a car is squashed between two semi trailers.

 Thank you.

Regards

Hans Stephens

 

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 Note that my e-mails have been polite.

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 From: Email Acknowledgment [mailto:do_not_reply_here@minister.nsw.gov.au]
Sent: Tuesday, 11 December 2012 9:18 PM
To: 'Hans Stephens'
Subject: RE: warning of fault of warning trailer

  Thank you for your email to the office of the Hon. Duncan Gay MLC, Minister for Roads and Ports.

Please be assured that your email will receive all necessary attention.

 Kind Regards

 Office of the Minister for Roads and Ports.
The Hon. Duncan Gay MLC
Level 35, Governor Macquarie Tower
1 Farrer Pl, SYDNEY NSW 2000

_____________________________________________

 

No action, so before something like this happens, I emailed again

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 From: Hans Stephens

Sent: Friday, 14 December 2012 1:17 PM
To: 'office@gay.minister.nsw.gov.au'
Subject: warning of fault of warning trailer #2

 

  Hi ,

 I sent this email earlier this week about a warning trailer sign not working.

On Tues this week there was another rear end accident at these traffic lights

Guess what, the trailer sign is still not working

It wouldn’t be look good if after I take the trouble to report a fault and 4 days later it’s still not fixed and there is a serious accident there.

Especially as  it has been decided that permanent warning lights are being  installed at the approaches to these lights.

 

Regards

Hans Stephens

www.schoolzonesanta.com

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Still no action so I sent an email to the Premier’s office

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From: Hans Stephens

Sent: Tuesday, 18 December 2012 6:45 AM
To: 'office@premier.nsw.gov.au'
Subject: Urgent attention needed

 

Hi,

 I have emailed the road ministers office about a dangerous situation on the Princes Highway at Loftus. Sutherland shire and I’m “assured that your email will receive all necessary attention”.

There have been rear end accidents at new traffic lights at Farrell Ave, and the trailer warning signs approaching there from the south (while permanent flashing lights are installed) one of them hasn’t worked for weeks and the second has been off for at least 10 days.

Do we need a car crushed between two semi trailers before someone does something

The RMS wouldn’t be installing permanent warning lights unless there is a danger, so why does fixing the trailer signs take so long?

 

What will be the excuse if there is a bad accident there?

 

 

 For photos and the emails I have sent, see my website    www.shoolzonesanta.com

 

 Regards

 Hans Stephens

 

 PS. the signs weren’t working at 6.20am this morning.   (Tues 18^th December 2012)

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It is now   January 7 and there has been no work done to the started permanent lights, all there is some Armco fencing and reinforcing rods sticking out of the ground so much for the…..

 

“The lights at Rawson are expected to be installed shortly, with the lights at Farnell expected to be installed prior to Christmas.”

 

 

Did someone misinform the Road Ministers office, or did they just want me to go away?

  

And guess what?

 

Not even an acknowledgement email back, from the Premier's office.

 

Things change when you win an election.

 

 

 

 I emailed the Road minister's office twice, no luck, and then the Premier's office and still the sign isn't working, but new panic stopping skid marks still appear.

 

So as my emails were not acted apon,  I put up my own rather 3rd world sign up yesterday morning (December 24 ) so that drivers would have at least a bit of a warning .

 

 

.

 

 

 My signwriting isn't that flash, which may even make the sign stand out more.

Will my sign be removed I wonder, before they fix the trailer sign?

My very professional  sign was left up till January 14 when they installed the warning sign post (far background middle of photo) and a new working trailer sign

 

I couldn't help but rework my sign which was gone in a few days

 

 

 

And for the next four months until the 16 th of May drivers could see what a "PREPARE TO STOP" flashing light warning sign  looks like, without flashing lights. 

 

 

 

All the while the shiny yellow trailer parked back up the road with it's electronic message sign was racking up a hire fees.

 I honestly thought that one phone call from Minister Gay's office would've fixed the problem but all that has happened since the old RTA days, is changing the name to RMS

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After the lights were finished this email arrived.

 

 

 And that's all folks the page  above is repeated

 

 in previous pages along with other

 

 thoughts and missions.

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