Vehicles better access
Councillor calls for urgent action
A concerned councillor is calling for urgent action to ensure emergency vehicles have proper access to streets throughout Rutherglen and Cambuslang.
Rutherglen South Councillor Robert Brown was alarmed after reading our front page story last week about an ambulance that couldn’t reach a Rutherglen mum with a broken leg.
A badly- parked vehicle blocked access to Louise Spr ing’s f l at in Drumilaw Way , Blairbeth, and the 35- year- old lay in agony for longer than she should have until paramedics finally reached her.
Councillor Brown (right) said he was “hugely concerned” about the problem of access by emergency vehicles in many streets and called on South Lanarkshire Council to carry out a survey of the worst access hotspots.
Robert Brown said: “This is a problem which has been getting steadily worse over the last five or 10 years as levels of car ownership increase in areas which were never designed for this.
“It is not just access by emergency vehicles, it is also routine use of pavements by elderly people, parents with prams and young children and disabled people who all have to risk their lives by stepping on the road because selfish parking has blocked the pavement.
“There are proposals in the new Transport Bill lodged before the Scottish Parliament on June 8 to ban pavement parking and double parking and ensure pavements and roads are more generally accessible.
“It will be a number of months before it passes into law and, after that, there will probably be a need for detailed guidance as to how it would work in practice.”
He added: “It will be up to councils to look at their areas and produce solutions that tackle the problem whilst still allowing people to park their cars in their local areas.
“There is no easy answer but I think the council should start the process by looking at the worst hotspots and identifying what action is needed so they can be ready both to make sure the Transport Act does what it should, and that effective action can be taken across the board as soon as possible.
“Of course not everything has to await the new Act and any action that can be taken now should be considered.
“There are many areas across Rutherglen and Cambuslang that have the same congestion problems experienced by Louise Spring in Drumilaw Way.
“Blairbeth and Spittal have particularly narrow streets, Fernhill Road has cars parked on both sides making through access more difficult, parts of Cathkin, Springhall and Burnside have similar problems.”
Gordon Mackay, head of roads and transportation, said that the council will always investigate access concerns and take appropriate action.
He said: “The number of cars on our roads has grown over the years, and it is important that motorists consider their responsibilities when choosing where to park their vehicles.
“With regard to the Transport Bill, it is anticipated that, if passed, councils will be given detailed guidance by the government on how new guidelines should be implemented and what the responsibilities of the local authority will be.”
This is a problem which has steadily been getting worse...