Staines Road Safety Scheme Delivered As Promised

6.16.45pm GMT Mon 1st Sep 2008

W Twickenham councillors Munira Wilson and Piers Allen, together with Vincent Cable MP and Cllr David Trigg - Cabinet Member for Traffic, Transport & Parking - on one of the new traffic islands on Staines Road.

• LOCAL Liberal Democrats' campaign to make Staines Road safer has paid off as contractors put the finishing touches to a local safety scheme.

West Twickenham councillors and local MP Vincent Cable have been campaigning for a number of years, along with residents, to make Staines Road safer. In the last three years, there have been two fatalities along the stretch between the Shell garage (at the Hospital Bridge Road junction) and the Amida golf & leisure club. Working with residents, local councillors have pushed through a scheme that has recently been installed, including a mini-roundabout, traffic islands, narrowing of the carriageway and a shared cycle/pedestrian path on the golf course side of the road.

Cllr Munira Wilson said, "We are delighted to be able to deliver one of our key election pledges to local residents of improving safety on this dangerous stretch of road. Despite calls from residents to make this road safer, our Conservative predecessors were not prepared to take any action to slow down traffic. Many residents in the Rivermeads estate and on Staines Road have already told us how much the scheme has improved the traffic, slowing down cars and making it easier to turn out of the estate. The traffic islands provide easier crossing points for pedestrians, and cyclists feel much safer on the shared footpath."

Local Liberal Democrat councillors and Vincent Cable MP are continuing their campaign for a zebra crossing by the junction of Court Close Avenue, which many local people have asked for. Cllr David Trigg, Cabinet Member for Traffic, Transport & Parking said, "At the moment, we do not meet the Transport for London criteria for such a crossing but we hope that the new scheme will help us meet the criteria. Officers will be reviewing the safety scheme after six months and if enough people are crossing at the new traffic islands, we will make a strong bid for a zebra crossing at that site."