A series of traffic collisions over the weekend on Luton Road, including one in which a pedestrian tragically lost their life, has shone a light on the unacceptably low safety levels on the street.
Cllr Simon Curry, representative for Luton and Wayfield said:
“I want to join all my fellow Luton and Wayfield councillors in expressing my sadness and sorrow about the tragic loss of life at the weekend. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the person affected.
“We commend Kent Police for acting promptly and arresting some suspects who had fled the scene in the early hours of Saturday morning.
“We’ve fought on behalf of our residents on road safety before and secured improvements for Upper Luton Road, but this tragic incident is a reminder that the Council needs to do much more to ensure the safety of the people of Luton when it comes to the dangers of traffic.”
Cllr Tristan Osborne , representative for Luton and Wayfield and Medway Labour Spokesperson for Community Safety said:
“Enough is enough. The tragic events of this weekend are just the latest in a long series of incidents that demonstrate the need for immediate investment and delivery on Road safety measures along this major artery into Chatham.
“This is a narrow street with homes, businesses, shops and schools, and even prior to these accidents was amongst the most dangerous roads in Medway. The issues on road safety are extremely well documented.
“The scene of destruction, with the fronts of people’s own homes destroyed, was soul-destroying but will continue to happen without immediate delivery of road safety measures along the entire road. Ward councillors know that Road Safety budgets have been reduced since 2010 but it is now time that road improvements were fast-tracked and delivered quickly before we see another accident.”
Cllr Jo Howcroft-Scott, representative for Luton and Wayfield, added:
“I was deeply upset to hear the news from the early hours of Saturday morning, but I regrettably can’t say it comes as a surprise. Luton’s Labour Councillors have been constantly lobbying the Council for improvements to road safety, and this tragic incident is a reminder that the Council needs to do much more to ensure the safety of our residents. Action needs to come now.”
“We’ll be proposing that the Council adopt a range of practical measures to ensure safety across the entirety of Luton Road. In order to do this, we would like to see more raised tables and speed cushions, and believe that there is a need to consult the public over a possible reduction of the speed limit in this collision hotspot to 20 mph.”
Notes
More background information on the traffic collisions on Luton Road – https://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/news/second-serious-crash-on-main-road-in-two-days-258250/