Options on boy racers debated

Wanganui District Council will use low-cost traffic measures to help deal with boy racer problems at Eastown Rd.

That was the decision presented to Wanganui East residents at a public meeting recently. Around 40 residents attended the meeting, which was held at the Wanganui East club.

In March, a group of residents brought a petition to the council, complaining of boy racers in the area, a problem they said had become worse in the past few years.

While council officers said the area was not suitable for traffic calming, and that non-engineering solutions should be considered, councillors agreed to hold a public meeting with the residents of Eastown Rd and invite representatives from Whanganui Police to take part.

That meeting was held in late June, and councillors promised to hold another meeting to present some solutions.

Councillor Allan Anderson, who attended the meeting, said the residents had shown a willingness to engage with the council.

"Their concerns certainly deserved a meaningful response from us," he said.

Mr Anderson said workable options would be recommended to the council's infrastructure and property committee, who would make a final recommendation to the full council. It was likely the options would be something like a small roundabout at the intersection of Eastown Rd and Wilkie St, and possibly other small traffic islands.

Geoff Lawson, one of the Eastown Rd residents to first bring the problem to the council's attention, said he was reasonably happy with what the council was offering. "The response was appropriate considering the current financial situation of the council. I think most people were happy. We weren't expecting much."

He said the council had been upfront with residents and there had been good communication.

Mr Lawson said since the last meeting with the council and police in June, there had been a "marked decrease" in boy racer activity in the area. "It hasn't stopped completely, but it has decreased. The police told us they would increase patrols in the area, and this has obviously had an effect," Mr Lawson said.