Calls to make Derby road safer as 'children running for their dear lives'

Calls have been made to make a busy Derby road safer because “children are running for their dear lives” to cross it to and from school. Mackworth and New Zealand Labour councillors Ndukwe Onuoha and John Whitby say they have long been calling for a crossing to better protect residents and pedestrians on Uttoxeter Old Road.

Many youngsters use the road to walk to either Bemrose School or Derby Cathedral School. The road has a bridge which people have to get across.

Calls have been said to have been going on for around two years for a new crossing either around the junction with Slack Lane or on the other side of the bridge. Now Derby City Council have said the road meets the criteria for a controlled crossing, finally allowing discussions and plans to move significantly forward.

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It is not yet known where exactly on the road a crossing will be installed but a detailed survey will take place investigating where it can be marked and what type of crossing is needed.

Councillor Onuoha said: “When I got elected I noticed that quite a lot of children were having to frantically run across the bridge on their way to and from the school as cars came bearing down.

“I discussed this with Councillor Whitby and we decided to approach the traffic team at Derby City Council to ask why there wasn’t any controlled crossing installed there.

“I have seen children run for their dear lives and I am convinced that a controlled crossing there will help avert any potential accidents. The parents we have spoken to are overwhelmingly in support of this.”

Father-of-two Kendy Malika said he was often worried about the safety of his children. He said his children were regularly in danger when walking to their schools.

He said: “A new crossing would be very helpful for us. I worry everyday because it is not easy to cross.”

A spokesperson for Derby City Council said: “We have carried out an initial assessment at Uttoxeter Old Road to determine if it meets the council’s criteria for consideration of a crossing. Whilst the pedestrian safety record for the road is good, the number of people crossing alongside the volume of traffic and other factors, means that it has been added to a list of requests that we have for controlled crossings.

“There is no clear timeframe for the delivery of this. However, our next steps involve a detailed survey to help prioritise it for design work against the other requests that we have across Derby.”

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