Express & Star

School children running for safety as drivers speed down road

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Drivers are failing to stop for children using a zebra crossing along a busy road with youngsters having to run back to the pavement to avoid being hit, campaigners claim. more

Buses are also being overtaken at high speeds on Rangeways Road, Kingswinford, by motorists unwilling to wait for them to pick up and drop off passengers, according to residents.

More than 20 people gathered for the launch of new Street Watch and Speed Watch initiatives covering the High Acres area earlier this week.

And there was enough interest from people willing to volunteer for the schemes to go ahead.

Residents said they hoped better traffic measures along the road would be one of the issues looked at by the new groups.

A campaign has already been launched to get existing zebra crossings along nearby Bromley Lane replaced with pelican crossings to deal with problems along the route.

Similar measures are also being considered by Dudley Council for Rangeways Road.

Residents said they hoped the new Speed Watch would help gather the information needed for the council to approve upgrading the crossing.

Resident Claire Davies, aged 42, said she lived near to the existing zebra crossing so could see what was happened.

"Some drivers are not stopping at the zebra crossing," she said. "There have been some occasions when children have started crossing and have had to run back to the pavement because a car has not stopped. It is a very dangerous situation.

"Also when a bus has stopped some drivers are going around them at high speeds - even though their view of oncoming traffic is blocked.

"A lot of them are also going to fast. Something needs to be done and hopefully this will achieve that."

Fellow resident Ron Downing, 73, said people were also parking at the end of the road - making it difficult for buses to get past.

"Frankly I am surprised the bus companies have not complained about the situation," he said.

The Street Watch and Speed Watch are volunteer schemes.

Residents taking part in the Street Watch go out and 'patrol' areas looking for issues of concern which can then be raised with police.

The Speed Watch sees volunteers going out with a PCSO to monitor traffic along roads where problems with speed have been reported.

Councillor Derrick Hemingsley, who has been involved with a similar scheme in Wordsley, said: "I am really pleased there has been such an interest in this and the groups will be going ahead."

A decision on whether the zebra crossings will be upgraded is expected to be made in November.