Darlaston Road Crossing (Walsall South)
The Petition of users of Darlaston Road zebra crossing, near Hough Road in Pleck, Walsall,
Declares that the Petitioners are concerned that there have been a number of accidents and near misses on the Darlaston Road zebra crossing near Hough Road in Pleck, Walsall.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to call on Walsall Borough Council to immediately install a signal-controlled crossing in place of the existing zebra crossing on Darlaston Road, near Hough Road in Pleck, Walsall, before any further serious incidents occur.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Valerie Vaz, Official Report, 23 April 2012; Vol. 543, c. 781.]
[P001020]
Observations from the Secretary of State for Transport:
The design, installation and maintenance of pedestrian crossings are matters for local highway authorities, in this case Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council. They have powers to establish crossings on their roads, as well as a duty under section 122 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to ‘secure the expeditious, convenient and safe movement of vehicular and other traffic (including pedestrians)’.
Local authorities would need to consider local factors such as pedestrian numbers, road layout, traffic flow and speed and accident records in deciding whether a crossing is necessary, and if so what type to provide. The Department for Transport has published guidance on the assessment and design of pedestrian crossings, in two local transport notes (LTNs):
LTN 1/95: The Assessment of Pedestrian Crossings
LTN 2/95: The Design of Pedestrian Crossings
Both publications are available on the Department’s website at: http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/local-transport-notes.
Local authorities are free to make their own decisions about the design of the streets under their care, provided they take account of the relevant legislation. It would be inappropriate for the Government to seek to intervene in the process of this matter.