In Gasteren it will soon no longer be allowed to drive faster than 30 kilometers per hour. This has been decided by the municipality of Aa en Hunze. This fulfills a wish of the majority of the village.
The current 30-kilometre zone, which already applies in part of Gasselte, will be extended to the village limits. The measure should give road users an extra incentive to drive more slowly and thus make the traffic situation in the village safer.
At the moment you are still allowed to drive 50 kilometers per hour in many places in Gasteren, but not everyone adheres to that. That creates unsafe situations. Commuters and tourists in particular regularly drive faster than permitted, according to the local village association.
“There is a lot of traffic that has to go from Veendam to Assen through our village and many tourists drive during the weekends,” explains village interest chairman Gert Hilbolling. “During our annual meeting, we examined the entire village and a large majority said: make it a 30-kilometer zone.”
The municipality of Aa en Hunze has listened to that request and is expanding the 30-kilometre zone. The municipality is not going to do anything more than changing the traffic signs for the time being. There will therefore be no speed bumps or other measures to force motorists to slow down.
“That would create too many obstacles for agricultural traffic that also has to drive through the village,” says Hilbolling. “We will think about other adjustments, such as placing plants or shrubs in strategic places.”
However, village interests hope that there will be a solution for the entrance to the village from Oudemolen. Motorists who release the gas there still roll at 40 kilometers per hour to the main intersection of the village. Exactly the place where many cyclists get off to take a break. Accidents have not happened yet.