Councillors launch road safety petition (Kirklees Liberal Democrats)

Kirklees Liberal Democrats <info@kirkleeslibdems.org.uk>

Councillors launch road safety petition

February 15, 2006 11:02 AM

Councillors Naz Hussain and Karam Hussain (Liberal Democrats, Dewsbury West Ward) have launched two petitions calling for Kirklees Council to tackle road safety issues in two areas of Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury.

The first petition has been organised after the parents and families of children currently attending North Road Mosque came forward expressing their concerns about road and pedestrian safety outside of the Mosque on North Road.

Cllr Naz Hussain says, "There are currently 350 students who attend the Mosque on North Road on a daily basis. All of the children are under 16 years of age, with some as young as four or five. The parents and families of the children who attend the mosque are concerned as there is currently no safe place for them to cross the road near to the Mosque. As a parent myself, I immediately understood the parent's fears when they first came to us with this problem. Cllr Karam Hussain and I are now taking it upon ourselves to remedy the situation before someone is hurt".

The second petition was launched in similar circumstances. However, this time, the councillors are hoping to improve road and pedestrian safety for the children attending Ravensthorpe CE Junior School and Ravensthorpe Infant and Nursery while, simultaneously, easing congestion for the residents who live on Garden Street, Ravensthorpe.

Cllr Karam Hussain says, "There are two schools in very close proximity to one another in Ravensthorpe which makes the area very busy at peak periods, such as at the beginning and end of the school day when people come collect their children from school. Garden Street, which lies between the Junior School on Myrtle Road and the Infant and Nursery School on North Road, is becoming very congested at these times. Also, parking is allowed on both sides of Garden Street which makes the problem with congestion even worse. With all of the parked cars, the high volumes of vehicles stopping and starting as well as numerous pedestrians, my fear is that adults and children are having to make their way between vehicles to cross the road which is very dangerous. What we are hoping is that some sort of one way system can be introduced on Garden Street that will prevent drivers entering via the North Road entrance and that parking can be restricted to one side of the road outside of the Infant School to ease congestion and help traffic flow. It is early days, but we are determined to see some change here."

Cllr Karam Hussain, Naz Hussain and local road safety campaigner, Kingsley Hill, will be collecting signatures door-to-door over the coming weeks.

Cllrs Karam Hussain and Naz Hussain will be presenting the two petitions at the meeting of Kirklees Council on Wednesday 5th April 2006.