WILTSHIRE Council has defended the decision to introduce a priority give-way system and widen the pavement in Bratton Road, despite concerns from motorists that the scheme has made traffic congestion worse in the area.
The scheme, which was introduced to improve pedestrian safety following incidents of near misses with vehicles to those on the pavement, saw work take place to widen the narrow pavement, with priority given to cars travelling from the town out towards the cemetery on Bratton Road.
Road users have said that following the work being completed, the widened pavement has caused issues with near-misses with vehicles trying to navigate past each other due to parked cars on the Bratton side of the road. Wiltshire Council recently undertook a consultation to reduce on-street parking at Bratton Road, but a decision has not been made yet.
One motorist who uses the route daily said, “I wish the road layout was left as it was, as there are more issues now trying to navigate the road than there ever was before. When it gets really busy you are often stuck there for ages, and if some arrogant driver decides to push through, they often mount the new wide pavement anyway, so pedestrians aren’t really much safer now.”
Cllr Caroline Thomas, cabinet member for transport at Wiltshire Council says that changes to the road such as this require a ‘bedding-in’ period as motorists get used to the changes, but added that if there is a need for change “action will be taken”.
“We are aware of concerns raised by some road users and residents regarding the new road layout and driver behaviour at Bratton Road since it was introduced in December,” she said.
“The new priority and road narrowing system was introduced following concerns raised by residents and Westbury Town Council in relation to pedestrian safety along the narrow footway. Concerns were also raised regarding near misses and driver behaviour due to the lack of priority through the narrow carriageway section and the uncertainty of whether two vehicles could pass one another.
“The scheme includes a widened footway, narrowing the carriageway to one vehicle width. Vehicles approaching from Bratton direction are required to give-way to any vehicles already in the narrow section. The formal give-way cannot be positioned on the approach from the town centre due to the layout of the carriageway. Vehicles approaching the rear of any queue would be doing so around a bend and this increases the risk of collision.
“All carriageway changes require a ‘bedding-in’ period whilst drivers get used to the changes. However, we monitor all new road layouts and will be undertaking site observations, traffic volume and speed data will be collected, and an independent Stage 3 Road Safety Audit commissioned. Should any of these elements highlight a need for further changes to be made, action will be taken.
“In addition, Wiltshire Council recently undertook a consultation to reduce on-street parking on Bratton Road to ensure the road is clear for vehicles exiting the priority give-way in the Bratton direction. This consultation has now ended and a cabinet member decision report on whether or not to proceed with this change is being prepared.”
Public was able to have their say on plans
Westbury Mayor, cllr Mike Sutton, says that any member of the public who had issues with the scheme had the opportunity to have their say on it at any of the town council meetings where it was discussed over the past two years.
“The Bratton Road scheme took over two years from proposal to implementation and during that time, it was open to comments from the public and representations were always welcomed. All of the discussions at town council were open to the public and notices of agendas and decisions were available to anyone who had an interest during the process.
“The scheme was initiated following representations from members of the public and anyone had the right to comment for or against. One of the main objectives of the scheme was safety of pedestrians who had could not walk safely on the narrow pavement due to the close proximity of traffic and some had received glancing blows from wing mirrors.
“Safety of pedestrians has to take priority and narrowing the road was the only sensible and practical solution. Priority is given to vehicles travelling west, as sighting in the other direction makes it unviable. As the Wiltshire cabinet member states, all schemes need time to bed-in and any comments always welcomed. Proposed parking restrictions awaiting approval should assist with traffic flow.
“Drivers failing to give way where appropriate or other poor driving skills is more a commentary on current standards than a result of the scheme and such behaviour was prevalent before the scheme was introduced.”
