What does it take to get governments to listen to residents?
For over a year now I have been trying to get both the Roads and Maritime Service (RMS) and the local council (previously Rockdale and now Bayside) to take positive action to restrict the volume and speed of traffic in my street.
My suggestion has been to close Margate Street to through traffic and re-instate a right turn signal at the intersection of Ramsgate and Rocky Point Roads, or at least put some traffic calming measures in Margate Street.
Approaches to RMS, Bayside and the local State MP have fallen on deaf ears.
The prohibition of a right hand turn at the Ramsgate and Rocky Point Roads intersection diverts traffic coming from Ramsgate Beach into Margate Street.
Traffic along Margate Street in the opposite direction uses it because it is a more convenient connection, not a safe one for residents, than using the lights at the Ramsgate and Rocky Point Roads intersection.
The reasons for the prohibition according to an email I received in August last year from RMS is to "maintain safety and efficiency at the intersection".
It was also claimed that it would be "cost prohibitive to provide additional right turn movements at this site" and that "there are other traffic routes that motorists can use to access locations that are affected by these No Right Turn restrictions".
These seem to be rather suspect arguments when the safety of children and residents in Margate Street are secondary to "accommodate the major traffic flows" and clearly there are no alternatives to using Margate Street.
It is obvious that it is safer for traffic to turn at an intersection well regulated by traffic lights and speed/red light cameras, than to use a residential street.
Michael Peebles, Ramsgate
