Residents in the St Peters Road area are appealing for better signs and questioning when Kent County Council will fix the broken traffic lights near the spot where nine-year-old Brandon Wells was killed in 2009.
The lights are in the area where the ‘ghost bike’ marks the tragic loss of the St Joseph’s Primary School pupil who had been riding his bike when he was killed in a collision near to the junction with Broadley Road. They have been out of action since November 20 after being ‘demolished’ in a collision.
Margate councillor Rob Yates says he spoke to some residents from Broadley Road while he was out inspecting foot and cycle paths and how safe they are for users.
He said: ““I bumped into local residents who were inspecting the broken traffic lights on St Peters Road, and they told me that the council is not responding to their emails asking for better signage.
“They highlighted that as they slow down to turn off into their road, which is in the middle of 50mph St Peters Road, they have cars overtaking them into oncoming traffic, risking all their lives.”
Cllr Yates says safety on St Peter’s Road is just one part of a wider issue in Thanet.
He said: “Cycling and walking infrastructure around Margate and Thanet in general needs urgent improvement. Between Margate and Westwood Cross we have safe unofficial paths for pedestrians and cyclists that are alongside farmers’ fields, but they are just mud tracks.
“Separately the official paths are prone to starting and stopping randomly, and currently guide you to the broken traffic lights on St Peters Road that are strewn with crash debris.
“These specific traffic lights have been reported as broken and I am looking into the signage for residents on Broadley Road. The key point is that we need better transport infrastructure.
“We need safer transport for children, for drivers, for pedestrians and for cyclists. The statistics on Road Traffic Accidents in Thanet are shocking. Looking at Kent County Council data we have the highest numbers of child Road Traffic Accident casualties in Kent. And since November 2021 we have had three cyclist deaths.”
There have been more than 450 pedestrian casualties on Thanet roads between 2015-2021, the highest number in Kent. During the same time period there have been some 300 cyclist casualties in the district, the second highest in the county with Canterbury recording the highest number.
Thanet also has suffered the largest number of traffic incidents involving youngsters under the age of 15, with 69 between 2015 and 2021 with Swale the next highest recording 47 incidents.
In St Peter’s Road there have been numerous collisions during 2020-21 but all bar one, where a man on a mobility scooter suffered a head injury, have been listed as slight. No fatalities on the road have been recorded in that time period.
The statistics were raised during a road safety meeting in Ramsgate, reported by The Isle of Thanet News last month.
Cllr Yates, who also spoke at the Ramsgate meeting, said: “I am more passionate than ever that Thanet needs someone dedicated to working on Thanet’s transport, cycling and walking strategy in order to reduce the high number of casualties.”
A Kent County Council (KCC) spokesperson said: “We are aware that one of our traffic light poles at St Peters Road, Margate, was demolished following a crash on 20th November.
“Our highways team attended the site the same day to ensure the route was safe and programme in the works required to reinstate the traffic lights.
“A part that is not routinely stocked was required, which arrived this week, and we are working with our contractor to ensure this work is booked in and completed as soon as possible.”
Lights scheduled to be fixed tonight according to kcc
Good news,👏.
Can the constant flooding issue of that road ever be solved too?
There needs to be a speed camera put on St.Peters Road, just after the 30mph section, heading towards The QEQM. Pulling out of Lister Road and Drapers Close is horrific due to cars continuing to do 50+ mph around the blind bend. There is always a bad accident there around this time of year due to speeding vehicles and the low sun.
Soviet, I agree totally, speed cameras are sorely needed along that 30mph stretch outside QEQM and Draper’s homes.
I often- at least twice a week – come out of Lister road opposite the homes and turn left towards St.Peter’s. Not a car in sight from the Hospital end yet by the time I reach the 50 limit signs there would
I’ll be a car up my backside that has NOT been observing anything like the 30 limit from that end.
Not a now and again but a regular occurrence.
‘ …….there would be a car…….’
Could the statistics about casualties numbers quoted have more to do with the fact that Thanet has become grossly overcrowded compared to most other areas and is still increasing?
A most tragic event some years ago but in all my years of using that road I think it is less than the fingers on one of my hands the number of times I have either seen somebody cross by foot or use a car to go down Broadly road.
Ton
I think it’s two things
1, the standard of driving around thanet has to be one of the worst areas in the uk.
2, to many pedestrians just walk across roads without looking as they are so busy on their phones
Don’t blame the pedestrians they are not the ones that come equipped with a 2 tonne chariot.
What’s required is higher driving standards and more awareness of other road users
Both are to blame-pedestrians (of which I am one) often behave in very reckless ways. They seem to never have learned, or ignore the Green Cross Code.
George
What a load of rubbish
If find it odd the amount of pedestrians that just walk across a road without looking. Why would you risk your life by not looking before crossing the road ?
I stand by what I said earlier both are to blame.
Better than drivers too busy on their mobile phones.
I see it daily.
The amount of times I have seen idiots doing that at Star Lane-they cross right on the corner bit with the paper shop/general store while gawping at their phone. I always walk down a way & cross looking constantly both ways as it is so busy there & they whizz round the corner like lunatics.
The lights are regularly used all day long by residents of Millmead. Kids going back n forth to school use it early and later in the afternoon. They are needed to be working as a priority.
Somewhere else that needs urgent action is the ‘S’ bend on Ethelbert Crescent, B2051, Cliftonville where a brick wall and railings over the Newgate Gap slope have been demolished and left unfixed after road incidents earlier this year. There is a long deadly drop down if another vehicle crashes through what remains. Why isn’t there crash barriers around this bend and signs put up along with ‘Slow’ painted on the road approach?
Who is KCC Councillor for this area? Why are they not on this case? Don’t they care?
KCC Cllr Lesley Game for the area near Queens Court.
lesley.game@kent.gov.uk
The 50mph limit along that road should be reduced to 30mph. There are a number of areas in Thanet where a blind man can see the dangers. The new Aldi store at Westwood should have traffic lights because the traffic coming from the store is an accident waiting to happen. Also the traffic lights at the Pysons Road/ Allenby Road and Margate Road / Newington Road need to be coordinated at the moment they working against each other and drivers are risking jumping the light’s because of the delays.
have to agree with Soviet I live in drapers close and never turn right out of there as its totally blind and drivers do not always slow down, had many near misses coming out even turning right does not make you safe, also cyclists still insist on riding on pavement past the road and many never even look to see if there are any cars coming up to the junction, so again accident waiting to happen. Driving around Thanet is a nightmare its the sheer volumn of cars with the new houses going up everywhere,one day the Westwood roundabout was blocked with so many cars heading for the school pick up it took me 15mins to turn left to go along Ramsgate Rd
The cyclists that continue to cycle on the pavement past The QEQM are an accident waiting to happen. They are so rude and self entitled. They literally cut across The Drapers Close junction, without looking, and carry on at speed along the pavement. I’ve seen many near misses as the elderly leave Drapers Homes and step into the path of a speeding cyclist.
Re. volume of cars – I agree it’s an issue and is increasing. Yet I often travel to other towns and cities where traffic is much, much worse and coming home to Thanet is a big relief. The roads here are positively relaxing compared to Southampton and its suburbs for example. Therefore I fear that increasing numbers of accidents and increasingly frustrating driving experience is something that planners just could not care less about.
The obvious answer is to provide much better public transport and encourage people to use it.
One bus takes up the space of two or three cars, but carries almost 100 people. Imagine how much road space that would free up!
Why not put up signsget there that advise of a change in the speed limit I.e. 30mph in 150 yds then you will not be expected to put your foot on the brakes and drop speed immediately as for St Peters Rd , parking fines for the cars parked on the grass opposite Pej House would be a good idea, drivers need to go over yellow lines and a pavement