My son has to take a 55-minute bus to school because he can’t walk down a death trap lane

More than 200 residents are campaigning to tackle a road in Oldham that’s ‘too dangerous to walk down’. Bullcote Lane, connecting to Cop Road in Sholver, only has a few short stretches of pavement even though it’s a ‘busy’ road where locals frequently complain of speeding.

But despite several accidents and ‘near misses’ being reported on the ‘hazardous’ route, no safety measures have been added for almost a decade.

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Now 230 locals have signed a petition to call on Oldham Council to build a full-length pavement so children and commuters can walk to school and work safely.

Road user Lisa Jackson, who started the petition, wrote: “As local residents, many of our non-driving community members, including school children, are taking high risks every day walking to and from their homes on our busy country road - Bullcote Lane merging to Cop Road.

“This hazardous situation has become a personal concern for many of us as we witness the potential dangers of this road frequently.”

Steph Smith, 39, signed the petition because it’s currently ‘too terrifying’ for her son to walk to school. The mum-of-two and her partner Carl moved to the area in May and chose to send their son to a school within walking distance.

But Steph was stunned when she went on a test walk with her son, who was about to start year seven.

“It was shocking,” Steph said. “Vans were flying past us. The parts without pavement are where the road gets very narrow. It’s a horrible road. I’m afraid to walk down it.”

Now her youngster has to pay for a 50-minute bus ride every morning because it’s ‘just too unsafe’ for him to make the twenty-minute walk. And the problem is due to get worse, with Steph's younger daughter due to start at the school next year too.

Steph’s partner Carl, 39, added that several local dog walkers had been ‘clipped’ by passing cars in recent months.

But many kids and commuters do use the road on their school or work route, leaving residents scared of ‘an accident waiting to happen’, according to comments on the petition.

Karen Shore, who also supported the petition, claimed her niece ‘almost got taken out by a boy racer’ on the road after the car shot around the corner ‘from nowhere’. Her sister Tracy, who lives on the road and has to use it ‘daily’ claims ‘it can be very scary’ as a pedestrian, and people on the side of the road had to be ‘alert at all times’.

She added it was a hot spot for car accidents in the winter, and that her own car had overturned after sliding on ice at 10mps a few years ago, with her and her son inside.

“It was very frightening. But the main issue is speeding cars and people running red lights, and the fact that there’s no proper pavement for children to walk on.”

Local Councillor Josh Charters added that the road was a ‘key route’ for pupils from Sholver to Royton & Crompton school. He said: “We can’t carry on with the situation we have now where children are walking along an unpaved section of road with cars flying up and down, barely missing them”

Cllr Elaine Taylor, Cabinet Member for Decent Homes and Statutory Deputy Leader, told the LDRS the area is currently ‘under review as part of ongoing discussions around future improvements in the area’.

Cop Road could soon be home to a new Metrolink station, which councillors hope will ‘include considerations for pedestrians’.