No brake on MP’s journey for safer A19

POLITICIAN VOWS TO PRESS CHIEFS FOR REVIEW

added that ‘despite the road blocks from ministers, we need to continue to pursue them until they relent’.

Transport ministers have said that research by the Safer Road Foundation did not list the dual carriageway as one of the top 50 list of roads which were eligible for cash from the £175million fund set aside for work.

It has, however, awarded cash to four-mile stretch of the A1290, from the A182 at Usworth to the A19 at Boldon, and another five-mile section of the A67 from the A66 to Bowes in the North East.

Roads which feature in the funding list were selected on the basis they carry the highest risk of death and serious injury to road users.

The number of fatal, serious and slight injury accidents in 2016 are still being calculated and confirmed and are set to be released later this month, but initialstatistics show between the Wolviston interchange and Testo’s Roundabout at Boldon, there have been an estimated 36 collisions involving 88 vehicles.

These left 71 people with injuries, with six of those collisions classed as serious.

Mr Morris, who has been backed by fellow MPs from the region, has raised concerns in Parliament on a series of occasions in recent months, with his latest questions looking at why it is not entitled to cash and the cost of incidents.

He has previously been told enforcement of the rules of the roads is down to the police, which he says is increasingly tough for forces when the number of officers have been cut.

He said: “I am concerned about the Department for Transport’s lack of interest and concern for road safety on the A19 and the economic impact that the number and frequency of road traffic accidents is having on growth and development in East Durham.

“Despite the road blocks from ministers, we need to continue to pursue them until they relent.

“I will continue to raise this matter in Parliament.

“However, we need to use every tool at our disposal.

“I ask everyone affected by the frequent accidents on the A19 to contact the Department for Transport; use social media; sign the petition; and together demand Ministers listen to our concerns and take steps to reduce accidents on the A19.”

He has asked people to tweet the DfT via @transportgovuk using the hashtags #A19 #RoadSafety #InvestInTheNorth and #SafeA19.

Our Change.org petition, which has already been signed by more than 1,130 people, can be found via https://goo.gl/ubdhzF