Councillor Mulgrew calls for traffic police presence

Date published: 20/03/2007

Councillor Dale Mulgrew has written to the Divisional commander of the Greater Manchester Police traffic unit requesting an increase of surveillance patrols for the New Broad Lane area of his ward to provide further reassurance to the local community and instil confidence that this "dangerous stretch of highway" is being surveyed.

Broad Lane, which is already a designated mobile camera location, continues to be subject of accidents to private property. Although local traffic accident data finds only one human casualty accident recorded in the last five years, this is not a true reflection of the collateral damage which has been caused to houses that straddle either side of the carriageway through collisions caused by speeding and reckless drivers. This does not lessen the palpable fear and sense of danger that residents who live around this highway retain.

Councillor Mulgrew realises that further activity is necessary and says: "whenever I receive a phone call from a resident on New Broad Lane I can guarantee that the subject matter will revolve around the traffic situation on New Broad Lane.

"This has not gone unnoticed and last year I achieved a £2600 improved road safety scheme which when implemented will provide a further ring of protection for housing on the lower stretch of new Broad Lane, plus additional signage and road markings to warn drivers on this notorious stretch of road.

"This is a welcome development which I have worked on since my election last year with the traffic safety department at the council's highways service. But this response needs to be in conjunction with an increased presence from the traffic police so that drivers who flout speeding restrictions on New Broad Lane become more aware that this is a zone where penalties will be brandished for dangerous driving.

"Currently there is a visibility issue at this mobile camera site and local residents are not confident in the police's schedule of activity for them to catch the serial speeding offenders.

"Broad Lane needs to have a fresh impetus in the traffic police's list of zonal priorities so that the new Broad Lane community can be satisfied that everything is happening to avoid another property collision or even worse a fatality."