Speed cushions will not be moved

SPEED cushions will remain in St Andrew's Road even if traffic lights are introduced. It has come as a shock to some road users opposed to the cushions, who assumed they would be replaced by lights if considered a failure.

'The cushions are an annoyance to all road users,' said Liam Richardson, who passes the crossing at least twice a day travelling to and from work.

'They were put in place weeks before the start of term, when the crossing isn't even being used. I can understand why Environment introduced them in advance to allow motorists to get used to them but if they are eventually deemed unsuitable and lights installed, why on earth would they keep them?'

Environment minister Bernard Flouquet said they would have to remain because of the high vehicle approach speeds at the site.

He said if just traffic lights were installed, drivers would become so used to them being green the majority of the time that they might fail to stop when they were red.

The controversial speed cushions ' introduced last month ' have been criticised for not making the school crossing safer for the short time each day during term when it is needed but disrupting traffic all the time.

The school PTA maintains that traffic lights controlled by a special constable would be the only way to guarantee vehicles would stop at the crossing.

Deputy Flouquet reiterated that Environment had money set aside to install pedestrian lights if the speed cushions were not deemed effective enough.

But before committing to that, it has announced plans to lay more cushions after recognising that the present measures were failing.

Motorists are continuing to swerve around the cushions to avoid slowing down, making the road more dangerous.

The police have monitored the stretch of road on behalf of Environment and several motorists have been caught breaking the law.

'We have issued 12 verbal cautions and reported three drivers for either speeding over the new 25mph limit or crossing the central solid white line to avoid the cushions,' said Inspector Paul Gill.

Environment has released plans to install pairs of cushions on both sides of the crossing to prevent this occurring, subject to a 21-day consultation period.

If installed, the new cushions would also slow traffic once it had passed the crossing point.

'It is regrettable that we should have to consider these measures because of the actions of a minority,' said Deputy Flouquet. 'We will continue to monitor the situation to observe whether driver behaviour changes as everyone becomes used to the calming measures that have been put in place.'

But delivery driver Gavin Hughes could not understand why the department did not introduce humps that covered the width of the road in the first place.

If it now plans to put additional cushions past the crossing, he said, speed bumps would have the same effect without law breakers being able to avoid them.