The Dunedin City Council has thrown its support behind the push for a 30kmh speed limit in the heart of Port Chalmers.
Councillors at this week's full council meeting voted unanimously to endorse a submission calling for the speed limit in George St, in Port Chalmers, to be lowered from 50kmh to 30kmh.
The call, if accepted, would result in the limit reduced to less than the 40kmh being suggested by the NZ Transport Agency as part of its consultation on the change.
Cr Aaron Hawkins said it was appropriate for the council to signal its support for a 30kmh limit on the same day as the arrival of the season's first cruise ship.
Cruise ship passengers, who were often unfamiliar with New Zealand's roading network, could be among those at risk from a higher speed environment, he believed.
So, too, could the younger members of society making use of the school, kindergarten and early childhood centre all locatedclose to the troublesome stretch of State Highway 88, he believed.
A slower speed limit would be safer, and he was pleased to see a more ''proactive approach'' from the NZTA and Port Otago, which had already asked truck drivers to adhere to a voluntary 30kmh limit, he said.
Cr Jim O'Malley was among those to concur, as was Cr Christine Garey, who pointed out the voluntary reduction adhered to by drivers showed ''the world does not end when the speed limit reduces''.
