Road rage for homeowners over speeding response
UNSATISFIED OVER SPEEDS: Residents of Vicarton Street in Girvan want something done about speeding motorists.
A TRANSPORT Scotland response to concerns raised over speeding on Girvan’s Vicarton Street has been condemned as contradictory nonsense by homeowners.
In December, more than 40 residents on the street to the north of Girvan town centre signed a petition sounding off against speeding motorists, claiming that, since the railway bridge marking the town boundary was altered three years ago, traffic no longer slows to an acceptable speed.
Jean Houston, of 4 Vicarton Street, had collected 44 signatures to her petition in only one week and said she and her neighbours were determined to see an effort made to control the speed at which motorists fly past their doors.
“You should hear the traffic about 3 o’clock in the morning,” she said. “Sometimes the lorries are going so fast they set car alarms off. There is going to be a fatality there at some point.”
But Mrs Houston was disappointed by the Transport Scotland response, which she said failed to address the issue.
A letter from Transport Scotland’s area manager Bill Harrow to Girvan and South Carrick councillor Alec Clark, who had raised concerns on Mrs Houston’s behalf last month, claimed traffic calming features are not normally installed in residential areas and are not recommended for main traffic routes such as the A77 trunk road, despite the fact that chicanes and road narrowing are in place on both Dalrymple and Henrietta Street.
Mr Harrow also said Transport Scotland is in the process of extending the 30mph zone in force along Vicarton Street to a point north of adjacent Bridgemill Roundabout, which Mrs Houston claimed would have no effect on speeding down her street as motorists would simply accelerate again.
“It is ridiculous; absolute nonsense,” she said. “To me they are contradicting themselves and not addressing the issue. Other areas seem to be able to get traffic calming measures in place.
“I appreciate we are on the main route in and out of Girvan, but they are still putting people at risk.”
Councillor Clark said he agreed with the Vicarton Street residents’ concerns, having himself believed traffic calming measures should have been put in place when Girvan’s Asda store opened in 2007.
“Transport Scotland’s response is a contradiction in terms of the statement that they are making,” he said.
He has invited a Transport Scotland representative to visit Girvan to consider the situation at first hand.
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Weather for Girvan
Sunday 19 May 2013
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Temperature: 9 C to 16 C
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