A new road layout designed to help improve road safety by Kent County Council has created confusion among road users.
A design genius within Kent County Council has decided to reinvent the road system and decided that a “continuous footway” would be a good idea.
The redesigned juntion can be found at the T-junction between Staplehurst Road and the busy A2 near Sittingbourne. The plan was to reduce accidents at what the council has called a “crash cluster” site. So basically, it was just a dangerous junction. What clowns come up with these names?!
Residents nearby fear the confusing design off London Road, next to the Esso garage, is a recipe for accidents. There is no clear distinction between the payment and the road. Pedestrians may not realise that the continuous pavement actually crosses a live road junction. There are also so hazard markings on the ‘pavement’ for visually-impaired people etc…
One very unhappy local said “No-one seems to know what’s instigated the need for this kind of set up there either and there’s no signage whatsoever explaining who has right of way. This shared space design is not something that should be used on a busy main road. There have been reports of drivers going to turn into Staplehurst Road, then stopping because they thought it was a dead end and backing back out onto the main road”.
A Kent County Council spokesman said: “The raised continuous footway highlights to drivers that they are crossing a footway and that any pedestrians that are already crossing have priority over drivers turning in. The contrasting coloured surfacing and 25mm kerb at the front and rear ensure that pedestrians do not inadvertently step into the road.”
How does tha thelp motorists who have no idea how a new road junction should work – and who should get priority? Perhaps some signage should be put up to give people some sort of idea, rather than leaving the poor pedestrians to put their lives at risk when they want to cross the road!!
