COUNCILS BACKING CAMPAIGN
CIVIC LEADERS’ BACKING AS MORE SIGN PETITION
Council chiefs have come out in support of our Safe A19 campaign.
More than 800 people have signed our petition calling for an inquiry into safety on the busy road.
Now Sunderland’s civic leaders have said they would support any measures that would help reduce accidents and casualties on the road.
Coun Michael Mordey, Portfolio Holder for City Services at Sunderland City Council said: “Sunderland City Council actively work with Highways England, who are the government body responsible for operating, managing and improving the motorway and major road network in England.
“This partnership working includes addressing any potential road safety or capacity improvements where the local road network in Sunderland meets at junctions with the strategic road network which in our case is the A19.
“In respect of this specific campaign seeking safety improvement to the A19 corridor, the council would be supportive of any appropriate proposals that would assist with improving road safety, including any measures to assist with accident prevention and casualty reduction.” Leader of Sunderland City Council, Coun Paul Watson, said: “Our regional transport and infrastructure partnerships continue to work with national Government and national government agencies to provide the best transport and road links that we can, and this is a work in progress.
“This continuing process obviously includes main arterial routes serving the region such as the A19, and we are always looking at how they might be improved.”
You can sign the petition by visiting www.change.org and searching for ‘Safe A19’.
Our petition calling for an inquiry into safety on the A19 states: “The people of the North East, backed by the Sunderland Echo, Shields Gazette and Hartlepool Mail, call on the Government to carry out an inquiry into safety on the A19.
“Last year alone, there were more than 70 people injured as a result of crashes on the stretch between Wolviston and Boldon.
“This is too many collisions and it simply cannot go on.
“Added to the danger to drivers and passengers, the problems are bringing the North East and its economy to a halt - more must be done to get us moving forward.
“With the backing of North East MPs, including Ea sing ton MPG ra ha me Morris, we want the Department for Transport to look at this issue and take action to protect our region and its people for generations to come.”
Estimated statistics show between Boldon and Wolviston, there were 36 crashes during 2016, with 88 vehicles involved.
They left 71 people hurt, with six of the smashes classed as serious.