WELL over 1,000 residents have backed a petition calling for improved road safety in Rubery as councillors in the town urge county highways to take action.
Launched by Rubery councillors Esther Gray and Peter McDonald, the petition will now form a motion brought before Worcestershire County Council later this month.
Over the summer the pair managed to bring in 1,330 signatures for the petition which calls for speed limit reductions across the town due to ‘excessive vehicle speeds posing a threat to the community’.
The councillors have previously highlighted the large number of educational establishments within the town including two primary schools, each with a nursery, a high school and two private nurseries.
They say the safety of roads surrounding these schools and nurseries should be a priority and have also highlighted the dangers to those in the area with disabilities.
Personal stories include mobility vehicle users ‘playing dodgems’ while crossing Whetty Lane and Leach Heath Lane, while those with visual impairments struggle to judge the speed of oncoming vehicles.
These instances, according to the councillors, are too numerous to ignore and demand immediate attention. The pair will now bring their motion before a full meeting of Worcestershire County Council on September 11.
When launching the petition, Coun McDonald for Rubery North said:” We already have a 20mph restriction around schools in Rubery North and since the restriction we have not had a child seriously injured by a vehicle.
“Not only does reducing speed reduce the number of accidents but reduces particulate emissions from tyre and brake wear. Which can only improve the quality of the air we breathe.
“That is why fellow councillor Esther Gray and I have set up a petition calling upon Worcestershire County Council to implement a 20mph restriction on residential roads in Rubery.”
When contacted by the Standard after the petition had launched, Councillor Karl Perks, Worcestershire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “Road safety is a top priority for us.
“We carry out road safety improvements, as we did at the shopping area on New Road, based on detailed accident investigation and analysis.
“We continually monitor the road network across the county and will consider this petition once it is presented to us.”