Calls for ‘safe walking and cycling’ in Rasen

Coun Stephen Bunney - who is also West Lindsey District Council’s ward member for the town - says the community needs to put pressure on the highways department to reduce the number of vehicles on our roads.

He said: “The local community needs to put pressure on to Lincolnshire County Council Highways Department to implement the Government’s recent pronouncements to encourage ‘safe’ walking, cycling, public transport and to reduce the amount of ‘unnecessary’ vehicular traffic on our  roads.

“It is not easy, or always possible, to radically reduce the number of vehicles in a rural area because as we all know people and services are spread out and often at great distances from each other, but there are things that can and need to be carried out.

“Not least introducing into our rural market towns and villages 20mph zones with traffic calming (speed reducing) measures like traffic islands, pinch points etc.

“This makes the roads quieter and safer thereby encouraging people to both walk and cycle.

“Alongside these measures it is necessary to introduce an improved and effective enforcement system.

“The response will no doubt be that the measures are expensive and not cost effective in the short run but surely the long term effects of an improved way of life for residents overrule this argument.”

The Rasen Mail approached Lincolnshire County Council for a statement, but a spokesman said the authority would not be issuing any comments on this  issue.

Coun Bunney’s comments came after the partial lifting of lockdown restrictions on May 13 saw a noticeable increase in the amount of traffic on the town’s streets.

Speaking to the Mail last week, Coun Bunney said: “In recent days there has been an increase in antisocial behaviour incidents that have been reported on to the council and police.

“These include incidents of queue jumping, large gatherings of people, insults, unacceptably loud music and pedestrians and cyclists ending their exercise prematurely early because they feel in danger from passing motor  vehicles.”