DRIVERS FUME AT ‘ABSOLUTELY CRAZY’ PLAN
Major city roads could be shut to cut pollution
CONTROVERSIAL plans to close two busy roads to cut illegal levels of air pollution in the city have been branded ‘absolutely crazy’ by angry motorists.
The controversial proposal to ban private vehicles from Basford Bank and Victoria Road, in Fenton, for three hours every day is one option being considered by Stoke-on-trent City
Council as it works out how to comply with a Government air quality quality directive.
But drivers in the city have blasted the £13 million proposal.
Marle Daniels said: “They have to drive an extra five miles to get where they were heading to – that really makes sense. What if you actually work on these roads?
“Victoria Road is predominantly ‘places of work. I’ve never heard of such a short-sighted attempt to solve a problem.
“There are so many roadworks around the city anyway, and they want to make it more difficult to get around the place.”
Wayne Gratton agreed, saying: “So you shut off two of the busiest roads in the city only to cause more congestion and pollution on other roads.
“Most people don’t drive around for the fun of it, they simply have no choice because the public transport system is very poor to say the least.”
Vicky Hutson also agrees it’s a bad idea. She said: “The traffic won’t magically disappear, you’ll get congestion in the surrounding areas with journeys taking twice as long and much more fumes.”
And Stephen Edwards said: “Who came up with this brain dead idea? Drivers will go a different way and cause problems elsewhere.
“I think we should go back 100-plus years when we were using horse and carts.”
West Midlands Ambulance worker Tony Sutton said: “It’s absolutely crazy. Us ambulance folk will take the long way to the hospital then.”
Chris Aubrey lives near to Victoria Road.
He said: “I only have one way out from the street I live in and that’s on to Victoria Road. If this proposal gets the go-ahead we will be prisoners in our own home.
“A lot of the people in my street are disabled and can only leave their homes by car, so how are they supposed to do their shopping or go to the doctor’s if they are banned from using the only way out of the street onto Victoria Road? I for one will fight this proposal, and convince every person in my street to join me.”
Stoke-on-trent City Council and Newcastle Borough Council have been working on plans to reduce transport-related NO2 emissions since being served with a ministerial direction in 2018.