DESPERATE calls have been made by residents to install traffic calming measures on a notorious accident blackspot in Perdiswell.
People living on Bilford Road have issued a rallying cry for action to be taken on the busy stretch after previous attempts to improve safety fell on deaf ears.
About 50 residents attended a meeting at Perdiswell Sports Centre on Tuesday, November 4, in which a campaign was set up in a bid to slow traffic down and make the area safer for people in the community.
The following day a double-decker bus and a car collided at the junction of Bilford Road and Astwood Road.
Jan Lloyd, who has lived on the road for 16 years, said: “When we moved the speeding traffic concerned me so I contacted police and asked about traffic calming measures but was told we don’t qualify for anything on that road because there has been no fatalities.
“It’s a very busy road, we have got the tip, we have got Perdiswell Primary, we have got the leisure centre, there is a lot going on, a lot of hazards and we seem to be disregarded as a residential area, we don’t seem to be given any consideration.
“They are adding things on to Bilford Road and increasing the hazards but when we ask for compensation for residents to slow things down nothing happens.
“You just hope people continue with the campaign, we can’t leave it all to councillors, we can’t expect people to do everything on our behalf so it’s important residents do get on board.
“Sadly, a lot of people say I want this, I want that, but you’ve got to give the time to lobby and get out there.”
It is not the first time attempts have been made to reduce speed on the road with Coun Neil Laurenson and Matthew Jenkinson making a plea in the summer.
This came on the back of a 330-strong petition in 2012, which called for a crossing on the corner outside Premier Stores, which was also knocked back.
Coun Laurenson, green councillor for St Stephen, added: “Many people have raised the fact that there have been various campaigns over more than 30 years to try and resolve this problem, but with only minor improvements that have failed to address the fundamental problem.”
Coun John Smith, cabinet member for highways, said: “We can place data collection equipment if there is a particular location of concern so that the speeds and volumes of vehicles can be recorded. We will then look at the data collected.”
