Tightening the presence in the downtown core
By Timothy Schafer
Several “near misses and close calls” by motorists in construction zones in the downtown core have prompted Nelson Police to put the clamp down.
Deputy chief Henry Paivarinta said the large amount of construction downtown has increased the likelihood of those encounters occurring, and it has.
“There have been reported conflicts between motorists and pedestrians due to limited access and detours in the downtown core,” he said.
“But frustrated motorists are not justified in disobeying posted construction signs and traffic control devices due to this minor inconvenience.”
That disobeying is a Motor Vehicle Act infraction and, as a result, the police — both the NPD and the Integrated Road Safety Unit — will be conducting enforcement of the construction speed zone for speeding, failing to obey a traffic control device and disobeying a flag person.
This is not to be taken lightly, said the deputy chief, since MVA infractions such as speeding in construction zone carry penalties that are double that of regular fines.
Speeding in a construction zone or disobeying a flag person carry minimum fines of $196.
Additional traffic control will be organized in the downtown in the form of flaggers, while barricades will be tightened and supplementary signage will be used in an attempt to reduce violations as well.
