For the third time in recent memory, the members of City council have said no to lowering the speed limit in Estevan's residential areas to 40 kilometres an hour.
Council voted 4-3 in favour of a motion by Councillor Roy Ludwig to leave the speed limit at 50 km/hr at Monday's regular meeting. The vote was spurred on by a recommendation from the Board of Police Commissioners to lower the speed limit out of safety concerns for residents.
As was also the case the last two times the issue was voted on, a lengthy debate occurred among the members of council.
Councillors Lynn Chipley, Chris Istace and Rodney Beatty all voiced their desire to see the speed limit lowered while Ludwig, Brian Johnson, Dennis Moore and Mayor Gary St. Onge opted for the status quo.
Chipley has long been a proponent of the move to 40 km/hr and said council should give the members of the Estevan Police Service more tools to deal with speeders.
"I think we have a speed problem in this city," Chipley said. "I would have liked to have given our police department those tools in the residential areas only. We are not trying to slow traffic down on the main arterials."
"I personally feel that 40 kilometres is more than fast enough," added Istace.
Johnson took up the argument of maintaining the status quo and feels the safety issue can be better dealt with by enforcing the laws already in place.
"A large majority of people in Estevan don't want us to change this," said the veteran councillor.
"There needs to be a lot more speed control if that is what we are worried about radar control. The Estevan Police Service need to be out there.
"I honestly believe It's just going to create a lot of confusion. A lot of people won't know what artillery (sic) roads are or what residential roads are."
Johnson also broached the idea of employing such methods as photo radar to help catch speeders in the city.
"If we are too busy busting drug lords in Estevan and hauling people to jail and back and forth to court looking after the cartel I guess, what can help us? Technology? Lets look at cameras that can shoot at a car. Larger, better cities than us have gone to that technology. That would control the speed limit around here."
Speaking after the vote, St. Onge said he too, feels the majority of residents don't want the speed limit lowered.
"Most people think it is an enforcement thing. I would like to see us have one person that does nothing but traffic. That would be kind of nice."
