DON’T top 20 in Commercial Road.

That is the message of the Adver’s new road-safety campaign to cut down on speeding in the busy town centre street.

With the opening of the new Regent Circus development, footfall is expected to increase and people in the area are calling for a revamp of the road to make it safer for the extra numbers.

Concerns include speeding motorists, unsafe zebra crossings, parking on pavements for quick custom and deliveries, and dangers of the new shared space scheme.

The Adver is calling for a 20 mile an hour zone to be implemented ahead of further measures, including traffic calming, new parking bays, and a pelican crossing.

Businesses have said the road has been crying out for change for a number of years.

Claire White, of New Recruits, said: “Traffic lights are needed. Cars have driven straight through the crossings and people have nearly got hit because they haven’t bothered stopping. It is quite a concern.

“It is a 30 mile an hour speed limit but a lot of people go well over that.

“20 miles an hour would be a good idea, especially when there is going to be so much more foot traffic.

“I would say reducing it to one lane and putting traffic lights at the end would be a good idea. Being a driver, you naturally stop at a red light, but people at the moment do not get enough notice.”

Alison Smith, owner of Mail Boxes Etc, said: “Making it a 20 mile an hour zone would help but there would need to be something in place to enforce it.

“I would bring in traffic lights and speed bumps, and totally abolish the shared space crossing. We hear the screech of brakes all the time and are always worried waiting for a thud.

“One motorcyclist recently was pulling out of a side road and got hit, and was sent rolling along the road. We saw him from outside dragging his bike onto the pavement.”

A worker from Key Security, who declined to be named, said: “People drive too fast all the way down the road, which is very worrying.

“The thing affecting businesses the most is the lack of parking, and people need to pull up on the pavement and jump out for five minutes.

“There are people exceeding 30 miles an hour all the time, every day. The only thing you can do to stop that is put down speed bumps.”

Jeffrey Kempster, of Kempster and Sons, said: “Some people go up there at 40 or 50 miles an hour towards this new shared space crossing.

“There are going to be six times the number of pedestrians because of the Regent Circus building, and more enforcement would help.”

Ola Oke, of Ink Extra, said: “Pedestrians are not safe, and when I am driving down Commercial Road towards the new crossings I make sure I am going less than 20 miles an hour.

“It is just going to get worse when Regent Circus opens fully and there needs to be a traffic light in there to protect pedestrians, otherwise it’s only a matter of time before more people get hit.

“As a driver, I am alright with the idea of speed bumps, and just two or three along the whole road would be enough.”

Mark Reynolds, of Charles Harding, said: “They need to mark out those two lanes properly and get in speed bumps.

“I would also like to see parking bays all the way along so that people can have free 10-minute parking for shopping.”

Andrew Careswell, director of Field Recruitment, said: “There is a significant number of cars and bikes that come down way over 30 miles an hour.

“I would say three things need to be done. A 20 mile an hour zone is cheap, quick and easy. There is no reason not to do it.

“The second step would be to turn the crossing into a pelican crossing and potentially reinstate the two lanes temporarily.

“Then, people would not be weaving in and out past delivery vans and parked cars, and would create a bit of order.

“Then parking bays should be put down one side and the road cut down to one lane. This whole street has been neglected from development.

“For the last five years there have been empty premises and billboards springing up, and it is not a desirable street to be in.”

Ideas have been floated for an overhaul of Commercial Road in the recent town centre masterplan, with proposals to improve traffic flow by making it a two-way street, but plans are in their very early stages.

Coun Bob Wright, (Lab, Central), said: “It is quite a unique road in that it is trying to provide for lots of different things, and needs a unique approach.

“There will always be those who are intent on their own journey and destination. Drivers themselves need to be more alert of what’s happening outside their car.

“There is a form of raised platform crossing where the colour of the road changes, and we are trying to slow drivers down outside UTC using this method.

“There is a potential for that with low cost.

“I would start with the parking option, backing use of the space for business needs, then go for the rumble strips with a change of paint so people recognise pedestrians are going to cross.

“What is happening at the moment is 19th century roads for 21st century traffic.”

An independent audit is due to be conducted into safety at the new shared space crossing at Regent Circus, with a date to be fixed over the coming days.

Coun Dale Heenan, cabinet member for transport, said: “Morrisons opened at the start of the week and over the next day or so we should have a date set for the safety audit for the Regent Circus crossing.

“From that point on, certain options can be considered.”

South Swindon MP Robert Buckland said: “We are all aware of the problems on Commercial Road. I use it, I walk and drive on it, and sometimes people use it as a bit of a race track.

“I do worry that by the time drivers get up to the shared space crossing at Regent Circus they are not going slowly enough to make it safe for pedestrians, especially those with disabilities.

“The council are doing an independent review of the shared space crossing and I really welcome that.

“All of us are passionate about road safety and the importance of accessibility for pedestrians, and I would support any campaign that leads to safer driving and more consistent driving.”

To support the campaign calling for the speed limit on Commercial Road to be reduced to 20 miles per hour, visit www.swindonadver tiser.co.uk/commercial road, visit the Adver offices to pick up a paper copy, or call into listed premises on Commercial Road.


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