A driver grew to become ‘caught’ on a raised kerb whereas making method for a police automobile this week after motorists claimed a brand new cycle lane does not depart sufficient room for emergency automobiles.
Two new bike lanes on a busy A street in Bournemouth, Dorset, opened late final yr and cyclists utilizing the route are protected against visitors by six-inch raised kerbs.
The £1.12million cycle lane scheme noticed the carriageway on the A347 Whitelegg Means narrowed, and is between 6.4m and 6.6m broad, to make room for the bike lanes.
However some motorists complained the brand new width leaves no room to make method for emergency automobiles, with pictures beforehand displaying the mayhem brought on.
Now, footage taken on January 10 seem to indicate a Fiat 500 ‘caught’ on the kerb, after mounting it in a bid to permit a police automobile to drive previous.
Talking concerning the incident, motorist Barclay Hoare, 53, stated the unnamed feminine driver was unable to get her automobile off the kerb and requested a workman to assist her.
However a spokesperson for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council stated the driving force had not grow to be caught, saying they’d chosen to mount the kerb to let the police automobile previous on account of stationary visitors attributable to momentary visitors alerts.
On January 10, a driver allegedly grew to become ‘caught’ (pictured) on a kerb on the A347 Whitelegg Means in Bournemouth, Dorset, after mounting the kerb to let a police automobile go
The spokesperson added that the kerb design ‘adheres to nationwide requirements’ and stated they they don’t advise drivers to mount the kerb, saying it’s not ‘vital’.
The cycle lane is a part of a £102million ‘Reworking Cities’ scheme to create sustainable journey hyperlinks throughout south east Dorset, with others inbuilt close by Wimborne and Merley.
Talking concerning the automobile apparently changing into wedged on the kerb, motorist Barclay Hoare stated the ordeal lasted round 20 minutes and brought on a mile-long tailback.
Mr Hoare, 53, stated the driving force, who was center aged and along with her little one, was in a ‘distressed’ state earlier than the workman managed to drive her automobile off the kerb.
The motive force is believed to have mounted the kerb to make method for a police automobile on account of stationary visitors on the carriageway, which was attributable to the momentary visitors alerts.
Carpet retailer Mr Hoare, from West Parley, close to Bournemouth, claimed he had seen three such incidents and referred to as on the council to ‘admit they obtained it unsuitable’ and take away the kerbs.
Two new bikes lanes, that are protected by kerbs, had been opened final yr on the A street and a few motorists have complained there isn’t any longer room for emergency automobiles to go
He stated: ‘I used to be on the entrance close to the momentary visitors lights when this police automobile got here from behind.
‘The automobile wanted to go by the backed-up visitors and this poor girl banked her automobile up onto the excessive kerb to make method and have become caught.
‘It blocked your complete street off due to the lane closure and momentary lights. The girl was center aged and with a baby. She was in a little bit of a distressed state.
‘A workman got here to her assist and was finally capable of drive the automobile off the kerb after 20 minutes, after a one mile tailback had constructed up.’
A spokesperson for BCP council stated the kerb design ‘adheres to nationwide requirements’ and insisted the automobile was not caught, as ‘no rocking or pushing of it was required’.
Mr Hoare claimed that, because the new cycle lanes opened, he has used the street as each a bike owner and a driver and stated he believes the cycle lane is ‘too broad’.
He added: ‘I’m amazed at that street, I do not suppose it has been thought out properly.
‘The kerb is way too excessive and it will have brought on fairly a bit of harm to the automobile’s alloys I might have thought.
‘I journey down the street on a regular basis for work and have additionally used it as a bike owner. I feel it is too broad as you might match two or three cyclists alongside one another.
‘This was all the time going to occur. The council want to carry their fingers up and settle for they have it unsuitable.
‘The kerbs have to be lowered or changed by a white line, and the cycle lanes want narrowing.
‘When a lorry passes within the different route, you breathe in. I might see this coming a mile off and it occurred proper in entrance of me.’
Pictures shared in December confirmed mayhem attributable to the brand new street format, with vehicles mounting concrete boundaries in a bid to maneuver out of the way in which of emergency providers
A spokesperson for BCP council stated the stationary visitors on the street on the time was attributable to momentary visitors alerts, including {that a} building employee had assisted the driving force to ‘relieve visitors congestion’.
They stated: ‘The carriageway and kerb heights on Whitelegg Means adhere to nationwide requirements set by the Division for Transport and can be utilized safely by all automobiles, together with emergency providers automobiles.
‘The cycleway features a raised kerb to guard the cycle route from visitors on this busy street.
‘It isn’t vital for drivers to mount the cycleway kerb which has been constructed to maintain cyclists secure.
‘We suggest drivers comply with the Freeway Code after they encounter emergency automobiles which might be beneath flashing lights. Drivers are suggested to not panic, and to think about the route of the emergency automobile and take acceptable motion to let it go.
‘This consists of pulling to the facet of the street and stopping the place essential to let the emergency automobile by. Drivers ought to keep away from mounting the kerb.
‘Native emergency providers groups are conscious of the roadworks on Whitelegg Means and haven’t raised any points with us.
‘On one event on Monday a number of vehicles selected to mount the cycleway kerb to let an emergency automobile go – this was on account of stationary visitors attributable to momentary visitors alerts.
‘The contractor engaged on behalf of the council has confirmed that one in every of these automobiles had issue re-joining the carriageway and to alleviate visitors congestion a building employee offered the driving force help and drove the automobile again onto the carriageway on their behalf.
‘The automobile was not caught on the kerb and we aren’t conscious of any harm to the automobile.
‘The momentary visitors lights on Whitelegg Means might be manned throughout peak occasions to watch visitors flows and the place required sign timings might be altered to cut back delays; throughout this era the place potential visitors might be held to provide precedence to emergency automobiles.’
A spokesperson for BCP Council stated the kerb design ‘adheres to nationwide requirements’ and that they they don’t advise drivers to mount the kerb. Pictured: Bike owner utilizing the brand new lane
Pictures shared in December confirmed mayhem attributable to the brand new street format, with vehicles mounting concrete boundaries in a bid to maneuver out of the way in which of emergency providers.
The A347 Whitelegg Means, which is on a primary path to Bournemouth Hospital, has been narrowed to make room for the cycle lanes.
In November, an area firefighter broke ranks by warning that there was not sufficient room for fireplace engines to squeeze by.
The unnamed officer stated: ‘Often vehicles can half, even when it means bumping up on the kerb. The kerbs are huge now to allow them to’t try this.’
Stephen Bartlett, an area unbiased councillor, stated on the time: ‘In my opinion the brand new cycle lanes are an ideal instance of find out how to waste thousands and thousands of kilos of taxpayers’ cash.
‘We now have issues which might be solely self-inflicted.
‘I had considerations that the street could be too slim as soon as the cycle lanes had been put in and I raised them earlier than the work began. I do not suppose it’s essential to have cycle lanes on each side of the carriageway.
‘I feel it can maintain up emergency automobiles and it may very well be a critical situation because the street is a part of a primary path to the hospital.’
Jean McLucas, from close by Merley, posted on-line: ‘Now we have simply pushed down it and I really feel fairly claustrophobic as you’re really hemmed in by the excessive kerbs on the nearside.
‘There isn’t a ‘escape route’ to have the ability to transfer over out of the way in which of something coming in the direction of you on the unsuitable facet of the street and even be capable of transfer over to make a wider path to let emergency automobiles come by the center.’
Chris Edwards, from Bournemouth, stated: ‘Unsure how a hearth engine might get by if the visitors is stable each methods because the curbs are too excessive to drive as much as clear the way in which. Whole waste of cash and creating a possible hazard.’
Earlier this month, the cycle lane scheme additionally brought on controversy after a bike owner apparently failed to make use of the brand new bike lane.
Video footage, filmed by a automobile passenger, reveals a row of vehicles decelerate to a crawl behind the bike owner, who’s utilizing the street regardless of a large cycle lane mendacity subsequent to him.
On the time, a BCP council spokesman speculated that street work boundaries obstructing the lane over Christmas could have been why the bike owner didn’t use the lane. They added that the boundaries had since been cleared.
In line with rule 63 of the Freeway Code, using cycle lanes is just not obligatory nevertheless it says they will help to make cyclists’ journeys safer.
It states: ‘Use of cycle lanes is just not obligatory and can rely in your expertise and abilities, however they’ll make your journey safer.’
The feminine passenger who recorded the footage stated she ‘hardly’ sees the cycle lane getting used, slamming it as a waste of cash.
The girl, who wished to stay nameless, stated: ‘I simply could not imagine it – the scenario positively had me swearing a bit. It is infuriating.
‘The street is already slim with no room for drivers to let emergency automobiles go and you’ve got this bike owner ignoring the designated lane.
‘There have been 4 to 5 vehicles in entrance of me they usually had been having to keep away from the bike owner in addition to oncoming visitors.
‘Some folks have stated that components of the cycle method remains to be unfinished nevertheless it was positively open and secure to make use of.
The cycle lane (picutred) is a part of a £102m ‘Reworking Cities’ scheme to create sustainable journey hyperlinks throughout south east Dorset with others inbuilt close by Wimborne and Merley
‘My frustration is with the native council for the cash spent on these cycle lanes when the entire infrastructure of the city wants pressing consideration.
‘The entire of Bournemouth is popping into cycle lanes and there is not any room for vehicles anymore. I hardly see cyclists within the bike lane.
‘It is exhausting sufficient for the emergency providers as it’s with out the roads being like this. The council simply does not appear to hearken to the general public.’
A spokesman for BCP Council stated they’d evaluate their momentary signage to verify it was clear to cyclists that the lane is open and operational. Everlasting signage has not but been put in.
They stated on the time: ‘We do not know why the bike owner selected to trip on the street fairly than use the cycleway alongside Whitelegg Means.
‘Highway work boundaries blew over throughout the Christmas interval obstructing sections of the cycleway so this will likely have been the explanation; they’ve now been cleared.
‘The sustainable journey enhancements alongside Whitelegg Means are nonetheless beneath building and everlasting cycle route signage has not but been put in.
‘Cyclists might not be conscious that the cycle lane is now open. We are going to evaluate the momentary signage in place to make sure it’s clear that the lane is operational.
‘One of many greatest considerations stopping folks from biking is their security when utilizing busy roads. Proof reveals that individuals will use bike infrastructure as soon as it’s constructed.
‘A examine discovered that in cities the place bike infrastructure was added, biking elevated as much as 48 p.c greater than in cities that didn’t add bike lanes.
‘While there isn’t any authorized obligation for folks to make use of cycle lanes, they’re separated from visitors and subsequently a lot safer for folks biking fairly than utilizing the identical lane as visitors.
‘We encourage folks to make use of cycle lanes wherever potential and comply with the Freeway Code guidelines for cyclists. We might be finishing up campaigns round street person and cycle lane etiquette sooner or later, as soon as the works alongside the route are full.’