ANGRY Winsford residents are expected to pack out a public meeting at Clive Methodist Chapel, Clive Green Lane, on Friday to discuss urgent traffic problems.

MP Stephen O’Brien, who was contacted by road safety campaigners about the increasing number of commercial and private vehicles using Clive Green Lane as a ‘rat run’, will address their concerns.

Campaigners will present a petition to Mr O’Brien at the meeting which he will hand in to the House of Commons and Highways authority.

The Winsford MP has written to freight operators asking them to use alternative routes and will be taking the concerns of residents to the manufacturers of sat-nav systems and the Department for Transport, insisting the Government and industry urgently move forward with launching a separate, commercial sat-nav system for the freight industry.

Research has shown a specialised commercial sat-nav system would provide improved information, particularly for large goods vehicles (LGVs) when used for route planning, relating to road widths, low bridges, as well as removing unsuitable routes and roads through small villages from the system.

Mr O’Brien said: “The use of Clive Green Lane as a ‘rat run’ is causing serious road safety and traffic concerns for residents.

“There is a clear need for a lower, 40mph speed limit and action needs to be taken to tackle the growing volume of traffic.

“I will be writing to the Government and sat-nav manufacturers, pressing the strong case for a separate commercial sat-nav system, which would prevent unsuitable routes like Clive Green Lane being used in many cases, as well as stopping LGVs travelling through small villages.

“The Freight Transport Association supports the introduction of a commercial sat-nav system and the Government needs to take urgent action and work with the manufacturers to deliver it sooner rather than later.”