CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. - The public works department wants motorists to know that there is a new school zone in Charlottetown.
And, it happens to be on one of the busier stretches of the city.
At the request of the police department, public works posted reduced speed limit signs in the area of Immanuel Christian School on Allen Street.
The signs went up in November.
While the speed limit for most of Allen Street is 50 km/h, the posted speed limit in the school zone is 30 km/h on school days.
The school zone begins at the former Reliable Motors dealership and ends near Van Kampen’s.
“The way we look at it is that it’s a safety issue,’’ said Coun. Terry Bernard, chairman of the city’s public works department. “Police forwards a request to us to put up the signs and make it a school zone and then we do.’’
Bernard stresses that any traffic changes have to come from the police department.
He said the city treats all school zones the same way whether it’s a private school like Immanuel Christian or one of the Public Schools Branch schools in the city like Sherwood Elementary School or Queen Charlotte Intermediate. All traffic must slow down to 30 km/h on school days.
The Guardian sent an email to city police asking about enforcement in the new school zone but the email was not immediately returned.
Bernard said to the best of his knowledge, police are handing out speeding violations in the area of Immanuel Christian.
“I do know there have been people hit with tickets in the school zone.’’
