Ola Backstrom, Newrybar
Further to Newrybar’s Geoff Martins letter published 12th March in The Byron Shire Echo.
With the significantly reduced traffic load, and with road speed of 80km/h currently prevailing, March 2016, the speed limits appear to be both comfortable and safe for most motorists using the old Pacific Highway, now renamed to Hinterland Way.
It is therefore a great surprise to learn that there is a small group of people that intend to lobby for another drastically reduced speed limit and thereby inconvenience the greater majority of the today’s users.
In the near future RMS will hand over the responsibility of the Highway to Byron and/or Ballina councils as applicable and it appears that lobbying will then take place to further drastically reduce speed limits.
I am suggesting that the group of people, intending to lobby for reduced speed, identify themselves and explain openly the reasons behind their intent, in order to gain support by the many Highway users.
It appears to me that there is no current valid reason for change of the present speed limits.
When the Hinterland Way is handed over to the respective Local Councils for control and maintenance, it will NO LONGER be a highway. When this happens the Local Councils will treat this “road” in a similar manner to all of the other local roads – it will not be maintained to an adequate standard and become unsafe at any speed.
All local roads in the Byron Shire are in appalling condition due to lack of funding and this one will be no different.