Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Call for speed bumps on busy village street
Campaign after young girl hit by lorry
Concerned residents in Plains have called for speed bumps to be installed on a busy street in the village after a young girl was struck by a lorry.
The unidentified 12-year-old was the victim of an alleged hit-and-run incident on Bruce Street, which is home to the joint Plains and St David’s primary schools campus.
Worried villagers claim they have been, “subjected to reckless speeding throughout the area by cars, heavy haulage vehicles and quad bikes” and called the incident involving the young girl the “last straw”.
Plains community council has now written to the local authority requesting the installation of speed bumps on Bruce Street to make “at least one street in the village safe to cross for residents, especially our schoolchildren”.
A copy of the letter has been sent to the Advertiser and it reads: “Unfortunately, villagers continue to suffer an everincreasing amount of reckless and antisocial driving in the village.
“Many roads converge at Bruce Street, where speeding drivers turn in without checking for oncoming traffic.
“Indeed, on the same day the young girl was injured, there was another accident in Bruce Street when a driver speeding along Jarvie Avenue/Wallace Street... failed to stop at the junction and smashed into a car travelling up the street.
“Complaints to the community council about speeding and illegal quad bikes have been passed on the appropriate persons, our local councillors and the community police.”
The letter continued: “Speeding on Bruce Street is of particular concern to residents since it is the location of our joint primary school campus and the trafficcalming measures now in place – 20mph speed signs – are almost totally ignored by irresponsible drivers.
“Plains has been nominated by the community police problem-solving team to address the present out-of-hand speeding through the village by off-road quad bikes... as a result of the village being the worstaffected area in north Airdrie.
“CCTV coverage in the village, in residents’ opinions, has been largely ineffective in addressing either the problem of speeding quad bikes or other speeding vehicles.
“The community council, on behalf of residents, earnestly implore [the council] to grant our request for speed bumps on Bruce Street and make at least one street in this village safe to cross for residents, especially our schoolchildren.”
North Lanarkshire Council said it is “assessing” the residents’ appeal for safety measures.
A spokesperson revealed: “We understand the concern of residents in Plains following the recent accident, and we will now assess their request for traffic calming.
“Reducing the number of crashes on our road network is a priority for the council and all requests for traffic calming are considered on their own merits.
“This ensures that the resources available are directed to those areas most in need and where the largest impact on safety can be achieved.”