Residents' plea for action on speeders
Mr Curran with the petition
by Alan Richardson, The Courier, Monday 31 October 2011
SPEED CONTROL measures must be installed in Coupar Angus before there is a fatality, campaigners have claimed.
A petition has been delivered to Perth and Kinross Council, demanding the step after years of near misses and close calls on the town's Causewayend.
It has been organised by community council secretary Bob Curran, who said he is terrified any action will come too late.
He said: "Over the last year, we have had three cars written off by speeding drivers, within 10 metres of my house.
"Cats have been killed in exactly the same place and a speeding car overturned very narrowly missing the lady's house, opposite to me.
"I've got 124 signatures, which is every resident able to vote on Causewayend other than three who are currently on holiday.
"The police have been very good but all they can do is percentile speed checks on 100 cars going along the road.
"If 95 of them are doing less than 30 miles per hour and the other five are going over 60, the speed check is going to come back with an average of 31mph which isn't enough to get measures put in place.
"But the point we're making is that it only takes one of those speeding cars to kill a child.
"We need speed tables or traffic-calming measures to be put in place.
"I've seen kids playing 'chicken' by taking their bikes full speed across the road and into the fields.
"It's dreadful to see and I've been to speak to them to ask them not to do it, and also spoken to their parents but it just takes one accident and there will be major questions asked."
Community council vice-chairman, Michael Gallagher said: "This has been a concern for years especially at Bogside Road and Causewayend.
"People tend to drive far too fast, especially at rush hour, so we've tried to persuade the council to introduce traffic-calming measures.
"We've asked for speed tables or speed cushions to be introduced which are a type of speed bump that are not wide enough to slow down emergency vehicles but are wide enough to slow ordinary cars.
"We feel that's an obvious solution and would like the council to introduce these or come up with suitable alternatives."
Councillor Dennis Melloy added his voice to those concerned for the young and elderly.
He said: "I am also very concerned and have already contacted the council's traffic safety officer to implement an investigation.
"I have been in touch with police who have advised me (they have) two officers looking into this matter and that the Tayside road policing unit are now involved and they will prepare a report to confirm the exact nature of the speeding problem.
"Until this investigation is concluded, may I request that residents be vigilant and if someone is seen speeding excessively that they try and get the registration number, the make of car and telephone the police or contact myself on
0778 667 4776."
A council spokesman said: "The council undertakes monitoring of the roads network and identifies as a result where any additional road safety or traffic calming measures are required.
"We are aware that the police have carried out checks on Causewayend and we will also be taking speed measurements on the road.
"We will discuss our results with the police and then consider if it is necessary to implement any appropriate measures."
SPEED CONTROL measures must be installed in Coupar Angus before there is a fatality, campaigners have claimed.
A petition has been delivered to Perth and Kinross Council, demanding the step after years of near misses and close calls on the town's Causewayend.
It has been organised by community council secretary Bob Curran, who said he is terrified any action will come too late.
He said: "Over the last year, we have had three cars written off by speeding drivers, within 10 metres of my house.
"Cats have been killed in exactly the same place and a speeding car overturned very narrowly missing the lady's house, opposite to me.
"I've got 124 signatures, which is every resident able to vote on Causewayend other than three who are currently on holiday.
"The police have been very good but all they can do is percentile speed checks on 100 cars going along the road.
"If 95 of them are doing less than 30 miles per hour and the other five are going over 60, the speed check is going to come back with an average of 31mph which isn't enough to get measures put in place.
"But the point we're making is that it only takes one of those speeding cars to kill a child.
"We need speed tables or traffic-calming measures to be put in place.
"I've seen kids playing 'chicken' by taking their bikes full speed across the road and into the fields.
"It's dreadful to see and I've been to speak to them to ask them not to do it, and also spoken to their parents but it just takes one accident and there will be major questions asked."
Community council vice-chairman, Michael Gallagher said: "This has been a concern for years especially at Bogside Road and Causewayend.
"People tend to drive far too fast, especially at rush hour, so we've tried to persuade the council to introduce traffic-calming measures.
"We've asked for speed tables or speed cushions to be introduced which are a type of speed bump that are not wide enough to slow down emergency vehicles but are wide enough to slow ordinary cars.
"We feel that's an obvious solution and would like the council to introduce these or come up with suitable alternatives."
Councillor Dennis Melloy added his voice to those concerned for the young and elderly.
He said: "I am also very concerned and have already contacted the council's traffic safety officer to implement an investigation.
"I have been in touch with police who have advised me (they have) two officers looking into this matter and that the Tayside road policing unit are now involved and they will prepare a report to confirm the exact nature of the speeding problem.
"Until this investigation is concluded, may I request that residents be vigilant and if someone is seen speeding excessively that they try and get the registration number, the make of car and telephone the police or contact myself on
0778 667 4776."
A council spokesman said: "The council undertakes monitoring of the roads network and identifies as a result where any additional road safety or traffic calming measures are required.
"We are aware that the police have carried out checks on Causewayend and we will also be taking speed measurements on the road.
"We will discuss our results with the police and then consider if it is necessary to implement any appropriate measures."
