Cambuslang Community Council are giving their support to West Coats Primary’s parent council in their bid for new road safety measures on Brownside Road.
In last week’s Reformer, we reported that the parent council had set up an e-petition calling on South Lanarkshire Council to introduce new measures to slow down speeding traffic on the road. In the past three years there have been 27 recorded accidents, resulting in 12 injuries near the school.
Representatives from the parent council attended the community council meeting last month.
Chairman Iain McKenzie knows the problems first-hand, as a resident of the busy street.
He said: “I can actually tell you what time of day it is, without looking at a clock, by the amount of traffic on Brownside Road.
“My family moved here 18 years ago, and in that time, the volume of traffic has become greater, and the speed of the cars has increased.
“My daughter is about to finish at secondary and when she started at West Coats the speed was a concern, and it’s not something that’s gone away.
“It’s just incredible that the current legislation at the Scottish Parliament states there have to be two fatalities and serious injuries before the introduction of a speed camera can be introduced.
“I know there are similar problems near St Bride’s Primary School, with cars speeding near it, so it’s not just a problem that’s confined to one school in the area, it’s something that seems to affect many of them. We would welcome the parents and representatives of other schools in the area if they wanted to come forward and raise their concerns with us at our next meeting.”
Cambuslang West Labour councillor Richard Tullett said: “As I understand it, the Parent Council at West Coats have been concerned about both parking around the school and the traffic volumes along Brownside Road for some time and action has been taken over a number of years.
“I am certainly keen to ensure that any specific proposals for improvement are looked at and fully considered. However, it is important to recognise that drivers themselves have a responsibility to drive safely around schools and I hope that the police will continue to monitor speeding levels on Brownside Road, especially at peak times.”
The petition can be found at http://tinyurl.com/WestCoatsPCepetition
Cambuslang Community Council’s next meeting is at 7.30pm at Cambuslang Parish Church’s St Andrew’s building on March 18.
