Road safety measures which were introduced to a busy rat run in 2003 have been removed and branded as "grossly over the top" by the Conservative Councillor in Charge of Highways Cllr Elgar Jenkins (Con, Bathwick).
Concerns were raised over the gradual disappearance of the speed reduction measures along Camden Road by the Mr Nigel Sherwen, Chairman of the Camden Road Residents Association, who in a letter to Cllr Jenkins says, "You will know that the Camden Road Residents Association has campaigned long and hard to get the 20MPH zone and traffic calming measures consisting mainly of speed tables and speed cushions installed and we have been pleased to see the improvement that has been made in reducing speeds... ...Unfortunately over the last year or more there has been a series of activities which has led to speed cushions being removed and not replaced in several places."
In total seven speed cushions have been removed and not reinstated. Local Councillor David Dixon (Lib Dem, Walcot) says, "These speed cushions have been removed with no consultation with local residents or local councillors. The Council had listened to the Association who had campaigned for years to have the traffic slowed down, and they were rewarded for their campaigning for road safety measures in this area, local residents and councillors were consulted and the safety measures were put in place. In my view to remove them with no consultation or without the Council demonstrating with evidence that the road is just as safe without them as it was with them is simply disgraceful."
A question has been raised with the Council Solicitor as to why this decision to remove the safety measures had not gone through the usual Council democratic processes and why no one was consulted on the changes before they happened.
