Fury over new 20km/h speed limit on popular Aussie tourist road: "What a joke"
A new speed limit has been applied on Victoria’s popular Great Ocean Road, cutting the maximum allowed speed from 80km/h to just 20km/h.
The go-slow rule will be in place near the famous tourist spot the Twelve Apostles for all of this month in anticipation of extra visitors during the Chinese New Year festival season, which ends on February 19.
The 20km/h limit applies to sections of the Great Ocean Road in both directions of the Twelve Apostles' visitor centre in order to reduce road incidents.
There is also a speed limit of 60km/h at Memorial Arch, a popular spot for picture-taking.
“No one wants to go on a holiday and end up in hospital or have a family member end up dead,” police road safety manager Senior Sergeant Chris Asenjo told the Herald Sun.
“If you come off a regional road at high speed there are good chances you are going to suffer some sort of trauma.”
More than 100 warning signs in Mandarin have also been installed to remind motorists to drive on the correct side of the road. Mandarin-speaking rangers would also patrol the region, said Parks Victoria area chief ranger Michael Smith.
“People visiting during the remainder of summer should allow extra time for their trip and observe the changed traffic conditions,” Smith said.
Last year, more than 128,000 people visited the Twelve Apostles over the 15-day holiday period.
Some motorists complained about the go-slow rule, suggesting that an increased speed limit might be more appropriate.
"What a joke," a user commented on Facebook, while another wrote, "20km/h would make my car stall in first gear."
What do you think of the reduced speed limit at the popular tourist spot? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.