Residents' demands pay off in traffic calming call

ACTION is finally being taken to install traffic calming measures at a Carmarthen housing estate three years after residents handed a 100 strong-name petition demanding help.

Transport bosses at Carmarthenshire Council will do a final consultation with residents living on the Wauniago estate, along with the emergency services.

Concerns over traffic in the area were first raised almost five years ago.

Residents said they were in danger due to speeding vehicles travelling through the estate.

Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk

myprint-247

View details

Print voucher

Our heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.

Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk

Contact: 01858 468192

Valid until: Sunday, June 30 2013

They warned a serious accident or fatality could happen without measures to slow drivers down.

A petition was lodged with the council in August 2010 and an exhibition of the scheme was held showing the scheme last year.

Now a raft of traffic calming measures have been earmarked for several streets.

Ash Grove, Beech Road and Maple Crescent are all in line for improvements including raised pedestrian crossings and speed humps.

College Road is also included along with the pelican crossing on Picton Terrace which is set to be upgraded to a traffic light controlled crossing.

The scheme by Carmarthenshire Council has been described as long overdue by local town and county councillor Alan Speake, who said he feared a serious accident could occur if work is not carried out.

He added: "This situation couldn't go on any longer.

"The residents and myself as one their local councillors have waited for around four years or so since a residents' petition was first handed in to the county council and it has reached a point that if the council didn't act soon then there could be a very serious accident, indeed possibly a fatality.

"This is a residential estate where many children play in the streets and near the road where these cars are belting through in an attempt to beat the traffic at Johnstown traffic lights.

"The funding of this scheme is excellent news.

"The west Carmarthen development plan for up to 1,200 additional housing units is planned for the ward where there will be at least two cars per household — an estimate increase of some 2,500 additional cars on our local road network. Therefore, despite many people's dislike of traffic calming we must put pedestrian and highway safety first and foremost, it is paramount."

Sycamore Way resident John Colling said: "We have been waiting for traffic calming for years.

"It is a worry that action was not taken sooner because I was scared there could have been a death or serious injury."

A council spokesman said: "Most of the formal consultations with all parties including local members have been carried out. The final detail of the scheme has been tweaked following a public exhibition last year and subject to the final legally necessary public notices and consultations with interested residents because of the introduction of speed humps and a 20mph zone, a start will be made on the work this year."