Van victim’s dad slams ‘shared space’ scheme
THE father of a three-year-old boy killed by a van driver on a “free-for-all” junction has called on the Prime Minister to ban the controversial planning design.
Michael Pringle has written to Theresa May after his son Clinton was killed in an accident while on holiday in Jersey.
In July, 39-year-old Rebekah Le Gal pleaded guilty to killing three-year-old Clinton Pringle through careless driving in a section of ‘shared space’ road in which there are usually no traffic lights, signs, kerbs and road markings. She received a suspended jail sentence.
The idea behind the shared space project, which was pioneered in the Netherlands, is that by putting buses, cars and lorries together with pedestrians, all parties are forced to co-operate and concentrate.
It is believed vehicles will slow down as they are unsure when a pedestrian will appear.
Mr Pringle, from Moodiesburn, has supported a campaign to stop a similar ‘shared space’ junction in the centre of Kirkintilloch where traffic lights have been removed.
He is now joining forces with other campaigners next month to hand over a petition to 10 Downing Street calling for the road schemes to be banned.
He said: “These shared-space areas can be confusing for pedestrians and drivers alike. When you blur the lines of distinction between pavement and road then you increase the probability of accidents and fatalities.
“Drivers need to be more vigilant when approaching these types of area but as our family has found out that isn’t always the case.
“Clinton paid with his life and the people who plan and implement these types of spaces have his blood on their hands.
“These shared-space areas make look nice on the eye but there is no substitute for proper pavements and controlled crossings. Believe me there is nothing nice about looking at your child fight for his life in a hospital intensive care unit.”
Mr Pringle will be joined by, among others, campaigner Sandy Taylor, chairman of East Dunbartonshire Visually Impaired People’s Forum, who has constantly pushed for the Kirkintilloch shared space junction to be scrapped and has been petitioning the Scottish Government for three years to halt such schemes being built.