Dear Editor,
As the owner of the shed crashed into by a passing truck on the 2nd February I would like to make some observations in regard to last week’s article.
I have lived on this intersection for almost 39 years. In the early years there were frequent car accidents because giving right of way was tricky. Since then the Council has done extensive work and that intersection has been accident free for years.
The island narrowing the road and the pedestrian crossing were finished just before Xmas 2014. Many people observing the traffic, stated, “Well that’s an accident waiting to happen”. And it did, right in my backyard. So fortunate there was no damage to a person. I do not wish to comment on the cause, but I do know, not enough research was put into ‘the island’ decision.
This is a rural farming community but apparently no one observed the variety of farming implements that need to negotiate this tricky intersection. They are very needful to the survival of our town, farming is what happens here.
I am not so sure about the trucks however and would like some clarification on why these huge trucks are coming through our rural town, passing 2 schools. The truck in question was doing a Bathurst-Orange-Cowra-Parkes delivery. Nothing to do with Canowindra! They have their own beds, their own food so they do not contribute anything to this town. Why are they not doing a Bathurst-Orange-Parkes-Cowra delivery and staying on the highway? Even if they do go through Eugowra and Canowindra they would only be doing it once instead of twice on this route. But should they be doing it at all?
I would particularly like to know, who monitors the size of these trucks (B-Doubles) on our road, are they in fact monitored at all? Also the routes that they use, are they ever investigated?
Maybe it is time to find some new solutions so that our little town is kept safe. We need tourists (who spend money) not trucks.
Regards,
Lois McCaffery