MEDIA RELEASE
2 February 2009

RTA DIRTY TRICKS CAMPAIGN REVEALED

School zone lights campaigner Peter Olsen has today revealed details of what he claims has been an ongoing dirty tricks campaign by the RTA against his school zone flashing lights.

"The false and misleading claims made by the RTA in a recent media release were simply the latest in a series of dirty tricks the RTA has used in an attempt to discredit my lights," Mr Olsen said. "I believe it is time to reveal the full story".

"The RTA's actions have all been aimed at increasing the apparent cost of my lights and reducing the apparent reliability and effectiveness of them, to help justify the exorbitant cost of their systems.

"The RTA's lights are 98.2% reliable and cost $58,000 each all-up. My lights have been 100% reliable and cost $1,000 each. I have given my technology to the RTA to use for nothing yet they still oppose the use of cheaper alternatives.


1. INCREASING APPARENT COST

"In 2006 I installed eight sets of flashing lights in Peakhurst and Lugarno. I chose locations where the 40kmh signs were mounted directly on Energy Australia power poles so that powering the lights from the overhead mains would be simple and cheap. (Mains power in this application is far greener than solar power). Five signs were on power poles and three were not. It was agreed in writing that the three signs that were not on power poles would be relocated onto nearby power poles.

"An on-site meeting was planned for early August 2006 between myself, the RTA and Energy Australia to finalise the installation details.

"The day before the meeting was to take place the RTA went out and removed the five signs that were mounted on power poles and reinstalled them on separate poles up to 5m from the power poles. The only possible explanation for their actions was to increase the apparent installation cost of my lights, as the wiring then had to be run underground from the power poles to the 40kmh signs.

"There was no actual cost involved as Energy Australia did the installations for nothing. What increased was the notional cost that the RTA is now quoting.

"Energy Australia had not objected to the lights being installed on the power poles and in fact there are numerous power poles with private floodlights on them outside car yards and other businesses.

"The RTA later claimed that it was just part of an ongoing program to remove RTA signage from power poles. That claim was demonstrably false:

1. The only signs that were relocated were the ones that I was planning to use. They did not relocate other 40kmh signs in the SAME school zones that were also mounted on power poles. They remain in place today.

2. They did not relocate any of the 500 or so other RTA signs on power poles in the area.  

3. They have mounted many new signs on power poles in Peakhurst/Lugarno and elsewhere since that date. Many are similar in size or larger than the 40kmh signs in question.

Case 1 - Lugarno Public School, Lugarno Pde
"There were two 40kmh signs 100m apart on the approach to the school, both on power poles.  The RTA relocated the first sign only, the one that I intended to use. The second sign, which they had to drive past, is still on the power pole two and a half years later. Pedestrian crossing signs in the new fluorescent yellow/green colour have also recently been added to that power pole and to another brand new pole on the other side of the pedestrian crossing.

Case 2 - Lugarno Public School, Old Forest Rd
"There were RTA signs on four successive power poles. The RTA relocated the sign on the second pole only, namely the 40kmh sign that I intended to use. The other three signs remain on the poles today.

Case 3 - Peakhurst High School, Isaac St
"The 40kmh sign and "End School Zone" sign were both on power poles. The RTA relocated the 40kmh sign only. The End sign is still attached to the power pole.

Case 4 - Forest Rd Lugarno
"There were large RTA signs on four successive power poles. The RTA had to drive past them to get to the smaller 40kmh signs at Lugarno Public School. None of them were relocated and they remain in place today.

Case 5 - Bay St Rockdale / Brighton-le-Sands
"Two large RTA signs were installed on power poles in Bay St Rockdale and Brighton in late 2008. Both are larger than any of the 40kmh signs that were relocated in 2006. They protrude from one side of the poles only which places a large twisting strain on the poles in strong wind.


2. REDUCING APPARENT RELIABILITY

"In December 2006 I reported a fault with RTA equipment that was affecting the operation of one of my signs. It took the RTA three and a half months to fix it, during which time my lights appeared to be malfunctioning.

"To be specific, the mains power to my lights goes first to an RTA-supplied earth leakage safety switch, then to an RTA-supplied transformer, then to my lights. The transformer isolates the lights from the safety switch meaning it is physically impossible for the safety switch to be tripped by a fault with the lights.
"The RTA did not replace the faulty switch until late March 2007, three and a half months after I first reported it.

"In its recent media release the RTA claimed that back-to-base monitoring is essential because it "alerts the RTA to any problems immediately" and "is essential to ensure our children remain safe". It further stated: "We cannot install potentially unsafe, unreliable and infrequently monitored systems when it is our children we are trying to protect"

The lack of action by the RTA over the above fault showed no concern whatsoever for the welfare of children. All it did was make my lights appear unreliable.


3. INCREASING APPARENT PROBLEM RECTIFICATION TIME

"Full ownership and control of my eight sets of lights passed to the RTA on 28 February 2007.

"In March 2007, whilst on site with RTA technicians, I pointed out a broken switch on one of the signs and asked for it to be replaced. It did not affect the operation of the lights but would have prevented the controller being reset quickly in the event of a problem.

"On 13th October, seven months later, I discovered that the switch had still not been replaced.

"On 14th October the RTA acknowledged in writing that they had been advised of the problem in March but had not fixed it.


4. REDUCING VISIBILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS

"The 40kmh sign at Peakhurst West Public School on the north (left) side of Belmore Rd near Henry Lawson Drive is completely hidden by an overhanging tree.

"The attached photo shows the sign from the rear. Only cars in the left lane can cross the intersection because the right lane is Right Turn Only. The sign is completely invisible from the left lane before passing the tree. During the half-second or so that the sign is visible drivers are looking in their right-hand mirror or over their right shoulder preparing to merge into the right-hand lane.

"The sign is also 20m from the nearest power pole, making running the power cable to the sign expensive.

"I proposed that my lights be installed on the sign on the right-hand side of the road instead, as is the case with RTA-installed flashing lights on King Georges Rd Beverly Hills, Taren Pt Rd Taren Pt, Taren Pt Rd Caringbah and elsewhere. The sign on the right is visible from half a kilometre back and is directly beside a power pole to reduce the installation cost. The RTA refused, needlessly increasing the apparent installation cost and reducing the visibility and effectiveness of my lights. Once again child safety was ignored.


For more information contact:

Peter Olsen
13/55 The Grand Pde
Brighton-le-Sands 2216
9599-1811
0414-538-404