Lives put at risk by Highways Agency 'Safe Road Crossings' budget cuts
[09 August 2004]
Massive budget cuts to the Highways Agency's 'Safe Road Crossings Plan' is proof that the Government is playing fast and loose with the safety of walkers, cyclists and horse riders, argues the Ramblers' Association (RA).
The lives of many people are being put at risk on a daily basis across England because of the dangers involved when crossing roads that sever footpaths and bridleways, roads that now carry significantly increased volumes of traffic travelling at high speeds. In 2002 it seemed that the Highways Agency, which has responsibility for England's trunk roads, was going to take immediate action when it announced its Non-Motorised User Crossings Improvement Programme. This has now been virtually written off in a money saving exercise.
Adrian Morris, Head of Footpath Campaigns at the RA, said, "Last year the Highways Agency released a list of dangerous road crossings that they had identified for safety improvements. After years of inaction it finally seemed that the dangers posed to walkers, cyclists and horse riders was being taken seriously; as things now stand, there is little chance that any of the improvement schemes will be realised in the foreseeable future."
"In the meantime it seems that the Government is content for people to have to dodge fast moving vehicles on busy roads, the dangers of which are obvious. Lives will continue to be put at risk every time someone crosses one of these roads because the Highways Agency's Improvement Programme is not worth the paper it is written on."
More worryingly, the Department for Transport doesn't seem aware that the Highways Agency has virtually scraped its programme of safer road crossings; the recently launched Walking and Cycling Action Plan makes specific reference to improving the safety of pedestrians and cyclists, and says the Highways Agency will tackle some 1,200 dangerous crossing sites through its Improvement Programme.
Last year the RA published a dossier, You're Either Quick or Dead, of over 1000 dangerous road crossing identified by our members, many of which had already been the scene of accidents or fatalities. The report pointed out that solely in economic terms, road accidents involving pedestrians cost the nation £2.4 billion, the emotional cost is much higher.