Perth Voice Interactive

VINCENT mayor Alannah MacTiernan is fighting a high-powered push to ban right-hand turns from Beaufort Street into Walcott Street.

She says the idea—being promoted by Mt Lawley Liberal MP Michael Sutherland—will affect Vincent residents while having little effect on those in neighouring Stirling.

Mr Sutherland’s electorate ends at Walcott Street.

Ms MacTiernan says a red-light camera should instead be installed at the nightmare intersection to ping motorists who do the wrong thing.

She has written to WA police commissioner Karl O’Callaghan in a bid to recruit his support for the red-light camera idea and to stop the right-hand ban in its tracks.

“Mr Sutherland is obviously focussed very much on his electorate and not at all concerned about the impact on businesses and residents south of Walcott Street,” the mayor says.

“We don’t want to agree to the banning of all right hand turns until we have tried another option, a much fairer mechanism, which is the red light cameras.”

Mr Sutherland says he’s simply responding to the wishes of the people and of experts.

“I didn’t do this,” he told the Voice from his Kimberley study trip. “This was a committee that was set up by the minister and it had people from Vincent, Stirling, Main Roads, the police department. They came up with the no-right-turn.

“I facilitated the meeting… I had no input.

“If you have experts that have said that’s what should be done, then I think that’s what should be done, and at least try it.

“If that doesn’t work, it’s not as if you’re doing major engineering works… change it back.”

by DAVID BELL