Council reviewing the situation
New traffic island on Sleaford Road, Ruskington. MSSP-9443SA-5
A LONG wait by villagers in Ruskington for the removal of an unpopular and potentially dangerous traffic island may continue for some time as Lincolnshire County Council is now reviewing the situation.
Last October, after complaints from Ruskington Parish Council and villagers about the traffic island and new bus stop on Sleaford Road, Chris Briggs, the county council’s Head of Transportation, said: “Due to our safety concerns about the reckless manoeuvres taken by motorists, we have been forced to consider an alternative solution for the bus stop on Sleaford Road.
“Following conversations with the parish council and local residents, there is not a safe or practical answer of where this bus stop could be relocated to accommodate the number of school pupils who use the stop.
“Therefore, we are proposing to remove the refuge and reinstate the original bus stop. This is a disappointing conclusion but we had not anticipated the actions of drivers which has made the existing infrastructure inappropriate.”
However, seven months later, when the Standard approached the county council to find out what was happening with the traffic island, Mr Briggs said: “We’ve taken time to consider all of the options available following the concerns raised by the parish council and residents, and also our own observations.
“To ensure an informed final decision can be made, we are carrying out a pedestrian survey. There has been regular contact with the parish council to update them on our progress.”
So the island may not be removed after all!
Since the pedestrian island was constructed on Sleaford Road, near to the bus stops and near to the roundabout at the junctions of Rectory Road, Church Lane and Station Road, motorists have had difficulty passing buses picking up and dropping off passengers at the bus stops. This has resulted in traffic queuing back over the roundabout or motorists recklessly driving by on the wrong side of the island to get past.
l What do you think? Should the island remain or should it be removed? Email your views to: john.lavery@jpress.co.uk
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Weather for Sleaford
Thursday 20 June 2013
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 13 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 11 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: West
