Hundreds sign petition calling for action over busy Queensbury road that pedestrians are 'too scared to cross'

Over 450 people had signed the petition calling on Bradford Council for measures to improve safety between A647 Ford Hill and Halifax Road.

And at a recent meeting of the authority’s Bradford South Area Committee, members were told how the road, and the drivers that misjudge its bend, left some villagers living in fear.

The petition had been presented to the council by Sonja Gupta, who owns Patchett’s Minimarket on the route between Queensbury and Halifax.

Many of her customers were among the 455 people who signed the petition.

Speaking at the Area Committee she said: “I have listened to customers since my family took over the shop. It is an extremely busy road. Cars automatically speed up after the sharp bend.

“It is very difficult for people living on the road. There are limited places to park and there are regularly accidents due to people mis-judging the bend.”

She said a young girl had recently been hit by a car on the road, breaking her hip and requiring an air ambulance to be called out.

Mrs Gupta added: “After that people are so scared to send their children to school.”

Councillor Hazel Johnson (Lab, Queensbury) said she had spoken to an elderly resident whose only trip out was a visit to the shop.

She added: “She has panic attacks because she has to cross this road. She would rather go to the shop across the road, but has to drive to the Co-Op.”

Another resident had seen three parked cars written off in the past five years.

Coun Johnson said residents wanted a measure like a traffic island installed to make it safer for pedestrians.

Members heard that the council’s Highways Team would look at options to make the road safer, although this work would need to fall under the budget for the next financial year (beginning in April).

Highways Officer Andrew Smith said the most recent speed surveys of the road showed the majority of cars on that stretch of road were travelling under 30mph, adding: “This shows that speed isn’t as much of an issue – it is more about driver behaviour.”

Chair of the Committee David Green said he would ask police to roll out speed patrols in the area, and the committee would consider possible road safety schemes in its next budget.