As motorists shirk Westsyde Elementary school zone, RCMP seek to raise awareness

Oct 28, 2019 | 4:27 AM

KAMLOOPS — Westsyde Elementary School re-opened this year, but RCMP say motorists along Westsyde Road don’t appear to have noticed.

With the re-opening came the opening of a new speed zone along Westsyde Road, meaning motorists have to slow to 30 km/h through the area.

But RCMP say the results of a pair of Speed Watch operations show that isn’t happening often enough.

On September 22, between 2:15 and 3:30 p.m., Speed Watch volunteers clocked speeds of 365 vehicles.

Of those, a full 61 per cent were speeding.

That includes 22 vehicles clocked at a minimum of 31 km/h over the posted limit.

RCMP officers followed that up the next day by issuing 20 afternoon speeding tickets.

Then on October 17, Speed Watch volunteers returned to the area between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m.

Of the 331 vehicles they recorded, 42 per cent were speeding, including 10 vehicles going at least 31 km/h over the 30 km/h maximum.

RCMP officers came back in the afternoon, issuing seven speeding tickets.

Speed Watch and RCMP will set up at the school again Tuesday morning (Oct. 29) in an effort to raise more awareness of the new speed zone.

by James Peters