Nanaimo city council is putting the brakes on removing school zone speed signs that don’t comply with the provincial Motor Vehicle Act.
Currently, it is illegal for RCMP to enforce school zone speed limits at many schools in the city as the “roads do not abut the school building or school grounds,” per a report by city staff.
According to the report, if a school’s property line is over 50 meters from the street, the school is not considered to be adjacent to that street and the school zone speed is unenforceable.
Staff recommended that council repeal the existing school zone policy and adopt a new one that follows provincial law and can be enforced.
At the city council meeting on Feb. 26, Coun. Ben Geselbracht instead moved that staff present options at a future Governance and Priorities meeting for enforceable 30 kilometres an hour speed limits in high risk pedestrian areas, such as near schools.
