ANGRY Winsford residents are expected to pack out a public meeting held at the 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 at a meeting
Campaigners will present a petition to Mr O’Brien at the meeting which the MP will hand in to The House of Commons and Highways authority.
The Winsford MP has written to a number of freight operators asking them to use alternative routes and will be taking the concerns of local residents to the manufacturers of Sat-Nav systems and the Department for Transport, insisting that the Government and industry urgently moves forward with launching a separate commercial Sat-Nav system for the freight industry.
Research has shown that a specialised commercial Sat-Nav system would provide improved information, particularly for 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 local residents.
“There is a clear need for a lower 40 mph speed limit on Clive Green Lane and action needs to be taken to tackle the growing volume of traffic using this route.
“I have already taken this issue up with the Highways Authority and a number of commercial freight operators, pointing out the problems it is creating and asking them to use alternative routes wherever possible.”
“I will also 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.
He added: “The FTA (Freight Transport Association) fully supports the introduction of a commercial Sat-Nav system, and the Government now needs to take urgent action and work with the manufacturers to deliver it sooner rather than later.
