MP joins road safety protesters

13th January 2005

Caroline Flint will join road safety protesters Sue Draper and Graham Fox to lend support to their campaign for traffic calming on Doncaster Road.

Said Ms Flint: "This campaign has my full support. Sue, Graham and the 750 residents who backed their petition have highlighted a genuine fear. They have also suggested very practical steps to make drivers think and make pedestrians feel safer.

Protestors have asked for flashing warning signs for motorists or traffic calming measures.

Said campaigner Graham Fox: "When 750 people express concern about such a local issue, that's a sure sign there is a problem that needs solving."

Said local mum, Sue Draper: "For a parent with a toddler or a buggy to cross this road is no joke. When you have to turn back half way across the road because cars are coming round the bend too quickly, something is wrong. It is better to act now, than wait for a tragic accident."

Campaigners point to instances where the council has narrowed roads by building out the curb or placed pedestrian refuges in the middle of the road to slow traffic down and make pedestrians feel safer.

Ms Flint welcomed the inspection by Doncaster highways officers, which included speed recording on Doncaster Road and Northgate. The MP is hopeful that Mayor Winter will respond positively to the officers' findings. "Money is available for pedestrian refuges, and flashing warning signs are not expensive. This problem need not cost a fortune to solve."

Picture shows: Local campaigner Sue Draper, Caroline Flint MP and Graham Fox highlighting the need to slow traffic down along Doncaster Road.