CYCLISTS have lent their support to the installation of traffic calming measures on Drove Road which have seen the road closed at various points over the last two weeks.

The generous width of the previous road layout had led to drivers coming down the hill from Old Town at too fast a speed, an issue which has led to a series of accidents in recent years.

In 2008, 7-year-old Tyrese Hannah lost his life when a driver lost control on the same road, striking the youngster as he walked his dog along the pavement.

A series of measures were put in place in 2010 as a result of a campaign spearheaded by Tyrese’s mother but the road has still proved a dangerous area for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians alike.

In the last five years, there have been 20 collisions with causes ranging from loss of control, to rear shunts, not giving way and ignoring traffic lights.

New ‘build-outs’ have now been installed, these are islands which jut out into the road at intervals thereby narrowing the driveable area, particularly on the stretch before the turn off to Groundwell Road.

Pedestrian crossings are also in the process of being updated.

After viewing the work that has been completed so far, Dick Millard, of the Swindon Bicycle Users’ Group, said: “We welcome the traffic calming intention behind the new layout on Drove Road.

“We haven’t yet seen the full scheme installed but we hope that the reduced width of the lanes will not have the unintended effect of causing motorists to try and squeeze past cyclists.

“We understand that there will be a new light controlled crossing to be installed just north of Cirencester Court and this should help reduce speeds and make the road safer for cyclists.”

On Thursday, Swindon Borough Council will vote to formally adopt the Cycling Framework which was agreed at a cabinet meeting last month.

Dick added: “We fully support this, it should both help the Council bid for grants to develop and promote sustainable transport schemes, and give more consideration to the needs of cyclists and pedestrians when designing transport infrastructure such as Drove Road.”

Although provision for cyclists has improved across Swindon in recent years, road safety remains a concern.

In the five years up to November 2015, there were 192 collisions involving cyclists, resulting in one death, 35 serious injuries and 152 slight injuries.

In an effort to increase awareness of these events, there will be a 12 mile ‘Ride in Silence’ next month from outside the Darkroom Espresso shop on Farringdon Road.

The event, which will begin at 7pm on May 18, comes during National Bike Month – it is free to enter and open to anyone interested in taking part.

Organisers have asked that participants ride no faster than 12 mph, wear helmets, follow the rules of the road and remain silent throughout.