Road Safety Campaigners pledge to step up battle

14 December 2005

Don Valley MP Caroline Flint has vowed to carry on the battle to make it safer to cross Doncaster Road, after Doncaster's Highways Department dropped plans for pedestrian refuges.

Said Ms Flint: "A year after residents campaigned for road safety measures, they are now being offered some painted lines on the road. This is a slap in the face for the 800 people who signed petitions highlighting the dangers on this stretch of road."

The Don Valley MP is particularly outraged that this has received the support of ward councillors. The Highways notified the ward councillors in writing of the revised plans for Doncaster Road, which removed the pedestrian refuges after local objections. None replied, but one, Barbara Hoyle, verbally agreed to support the modified scheme.

Said Ms Flint: "The local councillors have turned their backs on residents. It is nothing short of disgraceful. Councillors are meant to represent residents, not the Highways Department."

Road safety campaigner, Sue Draper said: "This is a huge disappointment. I can't believe that the Highways Department is happy to wait for an accident to happen instead of preventing one.

"Instead of a pedestrian crossing or zebra crossing, we were willing to accept pedestrian refuges, but now even these have been withdrawn. I can't believe that the ward councillors have gone along with this."

The MP and campaigners also pointed out that after Caroline Flint lobbied for a pedestrian refuge in Wadworth the refuge was agreed and built. Yet, a year after the Tickhill petition, nothing has happened. Said Sue Draper: "Wadworth is much smaller than Tickhill but have rightly got a crossing point. If the watered down Tickhill scheme goes ahead, we will have to step up the campaign for a proper pedestrian crossing."