HAWKESBURY Mayor Kim Ford has warned angry residents at Windsor’s peninsula Court Street could be permanently closed, if people continued to cut down road signs at the intersection of Bridge and Court streets.
Cr Ford suggested a permanent road closures barrier at the intersection could be the only solution, if the signs, which are routinely removed by unknown people, continued to be cut down.
“If the signs are interfered again as they have been in the past I will take the issue to the local traffic committee and ask for a better solution from the RMS like erecting a permanent road closure barrier,” Cr Ford said.
The Gazette photographed one of the recently replaced signs on July 28, and by the morning of July 29, the sign had reportedly already been cut down.
In 2013, Roads and Maritime Services posted a sign warning that motorists could not turn left off Bridge Street into Court Street between 4-6pm from Monday to Friday.
The signs were originally brought in to stop the so-called “rat run”, of motorists turning right from Macquarie Street, ducking around the block and then turning right at the roundabout of George and Bridge streets, significantly slowing traffic waiting to turn left onto Bridge Street from Macquarie Street.
The restrictions have never been lifted, although some residents have told the Gazette they were confused as to whether they were still in place because the signs had been taken down.
An RMS spokesperson confirmed to the Gazette the restrictions were in place, despite the signs being cut down.
Hawkesbury Highway Patrol Senior Sergeant Scott Walker said any driver, including local traffic, who turned down the street during the restricted hours risked fines of $253 and a loss of two demerit points.
Hawkesbury Residents and Ratepayers Association circulated a letter to residents warning them they were not excepted.
The association’s president Venecia Wilson said she had been contacted by many confused residents and wanted to provide clarity.
However, the letter also said that Cr Bob Porter was the reason the signs were replaced and included his Council e-mail and telephone number on the letter.
Cr Porter contacted the Gazette to say he felt the letter unfairly targeted him.
Cr Porter asked at the June 28 Council meeting if the signs could be replaced, but he said the letter made out that he was the reason the ban was there in the first place.
“It was only brought it to stop what has been known as the rat run,” he said.
“People kept cutting the signs off. I just asked what had happened on questions on notice.”
Ms Wilson said the intent of the letter was to inform the public what was happening, not to blame Cr Porter.
“If the signs were removed unofficially so long ago why were they not replaced,” she said.
“We wanted to let people know the signs were being put back up again. We wanted to let the residents know so they don't get booked.”
