Sherbrooke and Provincial police crack down on speeding in local school zones
By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
A large group of Sherbrooke and Provincial police set up shop on the morning of Sept. 5 to catch speeders on route 108 near Bishop’s University and Alexander Galt high school. The Record investigated, getting details on their operation from police officer Danny O’Connor.
Their objective was to show that speed limits near schools, now that the school year has started up again, will be enforced, O’Connor said. The Provincial police stationed themselves on route 108 just east of Galt, for that area is under their jurisdiction. The Sherbrooke police set up in between Bishop’s main entrance and the roundabout where route 410 connects with route 108.
They caught two or three speeders in total, O’Connor said as things were wrapping up around 11 a.m. He insisted that all got a fine, not merely a warning, because people do not respect simple warnings. O’Connor emphasized that it is especially important for speed laws to be respected near schools for the safety of their students.
The length of road on route 108 in front of Galt is marked as a 50 km/h zone during the school year from 7 a.m. in the morning until 5 p.m. in the afternoon. It used to have a large sign with flashing lights to indicate the limit change, but that has been removed and replaced by normal signage. O’Connor was asked about the recent change in the lines on the road in front of Galt, but he said he was not qualified to comment, though it is likely also for safety reasons. The road used to be four full lanes, but now, coming from the east, it narrows to one until briefly allowing a small extra section for turning into Galt only.
