Safety of the A682 (Barrowford, Lancashire)
The Petition of residents of Barrowford, Lancashire,
Declares that the petitioners believe the A682 next to Barrowford Primary School presents a danger to the safety of the children that attend the school and others who live nearby, as the road gets busy during the times that children are picked up and dropped off to go to school.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge Lancashire County Council to place a zebra crossing on the A682 near to Barrowford Primary School, perpendicular to Rushton Street and opposite the nearby Spar shop.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Andrew Stephenson, Official Report, 12 November 2013; Vol. 570, c. 926.]
[P001288]
Observations from the Secretary of State for Transport:
The design, installation and maintenance of pedestrian crossings are matters for local highway authorities. 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:
https://www.gov.uk/government/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 local democratic accountability.