Campaigners call for traffic light redesign to help the elderly cross

Campaigners are calling for traffic light redesigns to give elderly pedestrians more time to cross roads.

It follows concerns over traffic lights opposite Highbury & Islington underground station in north London, which give pedestrians nine seconds to cross a 50ft stretch of road.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Caroline Russell, an Islington councillor representing Highbury East ward, said: “I have seen lots of people are crossing in gaps and there is a lot of confusion in the new system. People feel that it is an unreasonable amount of time to wait for such a short time to cross.

“The green man stays on for five seconds and then the blackout period is just nine seconds. Then you have to wait nearly two minutes for the next green man. If you’re in a wheelchair or walking with small children you need enough time when you get across the road.”

These concerns have been backed up by Age UK, a charity specialising in work with the elderly. Caroline Abrahams, charity director, spoke to The Daily Telegraph, saying: “Allowing a few more seconds shouldn’t be too much to ask and would be appreciated by many pedestrians, without overly inconveniencing road users.”

In response to the concerns, a spokesperson for Transport for London told Mail Online: “We will keep the junction under observation as Londoners get used to the new layout, and will finetune the timings to ensure that the needs of all users of this busy junction are balanced.”