Road Safety Petition Denied Following Serious Incident

Immediate enhancements to a heavily trafficked road, where a “tragic accident” resulted in a person’s foot amputation, will not proceed following the rejection of a safety petition. Over 300 individuals had urged Surrey County Council (SCC) to enhance the A30 Egham bypass crossing close to Hummer Road by decreasing the speed limit to 40mph. Advocates for the changes sought the implementation of average speed cameras and a controlled pedestrian crossing. An SCC spokesperson stated: “It is not possible to introduce traffic calming measures such as humps and road narrowing on a 40mph dual carriageway, as these can only be implemented on 30mph or 20mph speed limit roads.” The spokesperson further added: “We do not have any plans to reduce the speed limit on this stretch of road at the current time.” Proponents of the petition informed the Local Democracy Reporting Service that individuals are compelled to navigate through traffic at their own peril to traverse the thoroughfare. The petition itself declared: “Hundreds of people use the unregulated crossing daily, including with dogs and bicycles, and there has recently been a tragic accident requiring a foot amputation.“We urge SCC to act as we have petitioned, to improve the safety of this crossing and hence to enable more people, including families, to access Runnymede Fields and Pleasure Grounds safely, to the benefit of their health and well-being.” The individuals who submitted the petition were informed that no funds were available for a crossing, and that the council lacked the “legally permitted” authority to implement traffic calming solutions on the principal road. Councillor Marisa Heath indicated her intention to consult with Surrey Police regarding the possibility of increasing enforcement activities in the vicinity of the road. She further commented: “I’m not a highways engineer by any stretch, but putting a crossing on a road that is 40 or 50mph is something that needs to be considered really carefully.” According to the petitioners, enhancing the crossing would enable a greater number of individuals to access historical landmarks such as the John F Kennedy memorial and Runnymede Fields, renowned as the location where the Magna Carta was sealed. For updates, follow BBC Surrey on Facebook and X. Story ideas can be submitted to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp at 08081 002250. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for material found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.