Latest news with #communitygroup
Yahoo
26-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Little-known road rule benefiting EV drivers prompts reminder to Aussies
Australians are being reminded of a little-known road rule specifically benefiting electric vehicle drivers. Online this week, Aussies in a community group shared that in the ACT and NSW, EVs are allowed to drive in the transit lanes, regardless of how many occupants are in the car. This is at odds with typical rules that state there must be two or sometimes three people in the car, and many responding said they didn't know about the transit lane exemption. "Never knew about it," one person said. "I had no idea," commented another. Transit lanes — marked as T2 or T3 — are designed to reduce congestion and encourage more efficient travel by prioritising vehicles carrying multiple people. T2 lanes require at least two occupants, while T3 lanes require three or more. They operate during peak hours or as signed, and vehicles such as buses, taxis, motorcycles and bicycles can use them freely regardless of passenger numbers. Drivers not meeting the minimum occupant requirement can only enter transit lanes briefly, typically up to 100 metres, to overtake or turn. But in NSW and the ACT, EVs with a blue EV label on their number plates are allowed to use T2 and T3 lanes even when carrying only the driver. This exemption forms part of a government effort to encourage EV uptake by offering practical incentives. It was introduced in 2022 and was recently extended until June 30, 2027, in NSW. Other states like Queensland and Victoria do not offer similar allowances. Little-known road rule with $600 fine shocks Aussies Drivers warned major road rule change with $961 fines 'just weeks' away Common road act that carries a fine in every Aussie state Why do we have transit lanes? The point of transit lanes is to reduce traffic congestion and improve the efficiency of road networks, particularly during peak travel times. By giving priority to vehicles carrying multiple passengers, such as carpoolers, buses, taxis, and motorcycles, transit lanes aim to: Encourage ride-sharing and reduce the number of single-occupant vehicles on the road Speed up travel times for high-occupancy vehicles and public transport Lower overall emissions by cutting the number of cars on the road Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
CTV News
03-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Group says it will set up ‘medical tent' at Kitchener encampment
Naloxone kits were spotted tied to a tent at the Victoria Street encampment in Kitchener, Ont. on July 3, 2025. (Dave Pettitt/CTV News) A group of concerned citizens is planning to set up what they are calling a 'medical tent' at a large homelessness encampment in Kitchener. In a media release, the group announced their intention to erect a tent at 100 Victoria Street. They said the decision was made in response to the closure of the Consumption and Treatment Services Site at 150 Duke Street West. The site provided a variety of services, including a drug checking program. They also offered a safe space where drug users could self-administer illegal substances they brought into the centre, while staff trained in overdose intervention were stationed nearby, ready to spring into action and offer potentially life-saving help. 'The closure of a healthcare unit that saved thousands of lives marked a sharp shift away from harm reduction policy and immediately ignited a dramatic increase in a public health crisis,' the group's release said. They went on to say they were concerned with the spread of diseases like syphilis and hepatitis C, as well as the number of deaths occurring daily due to drug poisoning and overdoses. Geoff Bardwell, an assistant professor at the University of Waterloo's school of public health science, was not surprised to hear of the grassroots effort. 'This is how people kept their communities alive before these services existed,' he explained. 'If we think about other crises, whether it's forest fires or floods or infectious diseases, communities find ways to respond that might be outside the norms of public health or outside the norms of government.' The Region of Waterloo said they were not aware of the medical tent and are not involved in the group's plan. Closure of the Consumption and Treatment Services Site The Consumption and Treatment Services Site in Kitchener closed on April 1 after the government ordered the closure of 10 CTS locations across the province. Despite a judge's order allowing the sites to continue operating while the courts reviewed the legality of the closures, people working at the Kitchener site said a lack of provincial funding and a quickly-expiring building lease made it impossible to continue. Days after the closure, Waterloo Regional Council was asked to pen a letter of support for CTS sites. However, councillors deferred the decision, fearing they could put funding for the newly opened Homeless and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs at risk. 'With the legislation [the province] passed last year, municipalities and boards are not permitted to support CTS, including writing letters of support unless approved by the minister,' Waterloo Region's Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, said during the April 8 meeting. In June, Sanguen Health Centre announced the drug checking program was back up and running. It currently operates at 130 Victoria Street North on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays from 1 p.m. until 8 p.m. and is offered out of the Community Health Van on Wednesday and Thursdays. Program users can test pills, powders and solids for unexpected substances.
CBC
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Dancers of any skill level welcome at Windsor's Riverside salsa sessions
Want to learn how to salsa? The community group Windsor Salsa and Bachata have begun their free summer sessions every Wednesday night at the Peace Fountain park. CBC's Dalson Chen spoke with organizers and new salsa converts.
CBC
21-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Court ruling saves century-old Halifax heritage home from the wrecking ball
A heritage preservation group in Halifax is applauding a court decision that prevents Dalhousie University from demolishing a 128-year-old house that was registered as a heritage site. The Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia issued a statement Wednesday saying the decision from the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal highlights the importance of heritage registrations. The court heard that after the house was purchased by Dalhousie in July 2021, a community group persuaded Halifax's municipal council to grant the home heritage status. Dalhousie challenged that decision in the province's Supreme Court, which ruled the city council had wrongly decided that a heritage registration could be granted to a group other than the property owner. The municipality then sought a judicial review from the Court of Appeal, which dismissed the university's claims and said the council's decision was fair and reasonable. The province's highest court also confirmed that Halifax council could award heritage status to a property following a request by a party other than the property's owner.
CBC
09-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Members of Millcroft Against Bad Development react to 425 trees coming down
Community group Millcroft Against Bad Development (MAD) opposes developer Millcroft Greens' plan to build 90 homes on a redeveloped golf course that runs through a neighbourhood in north Burlington, Ont. In early May, the developer cut down 425 trees in preparation for work. MAD members share their frustration.
