CALLS have been made by a Hanley Swan resident and business owner for a clamp down on drivers who speed through the village before there is a ‘catastrophic’ accident.
Ros Davies, who has run Hanley Swan Village Stores for more than 14 years, said ‘the momentum has to keep going’ following a successful meeting with other residents and West Mercia’s Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Tracey Onslow earlier this month in a bid to combat the problem.
The meeting came nine months after three ducks had been run down by a speeding driver in June last year, an accident which subsequently saw Mrs Davies launch a petition to help make Hanley Swan a safer village.
She has demanded more be done ‘sooner rather than later’ to ensure drivers stop using the main roads as ‘race tracks’.
A new vehicle-activated sign, funded by a £1,200 donation from Hanley Swan Market and £2,000 from Hanley Castle Parish Council, was installed at the start of March on the west side of the B4209 towards the centre of the villages to warn drivers when they breach the 40mph speed limit.
But Mrs Davies told the Observer more could still be done to prevent speeding, adding she hoped it was not another nine months before further action was taken.
“Now that we have the momentum it is important authorities be proactive and not reactive,” she said.
“Ducks cross the road from the pond and the poor little things paid the ultimate price last year because of drivers going over the speed limit.
“We don’t want to see a catastrophic accident which could see children or older people getting knocked down.
“Something needs to be done sooner rather than later to make Hanley Swan a safe village.
“We do not want it to be another nine months.”
John Taverner, vice-chairman of Hanley Castle Parish Council, echoed Mrs Davies’ sentiments, saying the issue of speeding traffic had blighted the village for more than 20 years.
He stressed the importance of ‘educating’ road users.
“The two villages are bisected by major thoroughfares, mainly straight and with good visibility,” he added.
“And with constraints on any major highway engineering projects, it has been emphasised enforcement has only a short-term effect and that the education of road users is important.”
West Mercia Police has identified a number of action points in the villages which will be looked at before details will be fed back to the parish council in a bid to reduce speeding.
Mrs Onslow said: “It has been an excellent example of the community working together with the police in order to get some action and we will now be pushing for more.”
