Four community councils fight for improved safety
FOUR community councils have united to demand improved safety measures near a Glasgow roundabout following a fatal crash.
The Thornwood roundabout sits at the intersection of Dumbarton Road and Broomhill Drive in the West End.
Last month, a 30- year- old man tragically lost his life in a collision at the junction.
Even more recently, last week two cars collided at the junction of South Street and Castlebank Street, which lead up to the roundabout.
The local community council, which has been campaigning for years to have stricter limits introduced on the site, has renewed its appeal and is now joined by the Broomhill, Whiteinch and Jordanhill groups.
Hector Rufrancos, far left, who has lived in the area for more than three years, is secretary of Broomhill Community Council.
He said: “In a personal capacity, I have small kids and I would genuinely never cross there with them because it’s not safe.
“For example, if I am trying to get to Whiteinch or South Street, we would walk down to the nearest underpass and do a walkaround to avoid going anywhere near there.
“It is evident that it is something that affects multiple communities because we all live near it.”
Shaun Conroy, left, from Thornwood Community Council, is at the forefront of the coordinated response. He said: “This roundabout both links and divides our communities.
“People are struggling and are too scared to use the crossing.
“I think it’s definitely the volume of the cars. Also, the speed at which they travel, because even though there is a 30mph limit, sometimes that is broken. I don’t know what can be done to address the people who take the roundabout too confidently.
“A major one is also walkability. Lots of people are complaining about that, stating that they tried to cross with a pram and were almost injured. The recent fatality has certainly spiked awareness of this issue. But the issue has been on our community council’s agenda since we started the Love Thornwood group.”
Founded by Mr Conroy, Love Thornwood boosts the profile of local issues. The action group has created a survey which they have distributed in the local areas.
Based on the 250- plus responses they have received so far, more than 80% of participants said ‘ no’ when asked ‘ is Thornwood roundabout safe?’ Mr Rufrancos, 35, added: “I think it’s really important to get the grounds laid to do something about it, given that there is broad community support.
“In general, I feel that there seem to be issues with night visibility and the speed at which people come down the expressway.”
As part of the bid to raise more awareness, Whiteinch and Jordanhill community councils are also raising the issue in their upcoming meetings. It is the organisers’ hope that with enough people behind the cause, Glasgow City Council and Police Scotland will make necessary changes.
These include speeding and the volume of cars using the junction.
It is understood that campaigners are liaising with officers and local councillors.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Road safety is a priority for Police Scotland and, working with our colleagues in road policing, we routinely carry out patrols to enforce speed limits and to act as a deterrent.
“We would also call on all drivers to behave responsibly behind the wheel, observe the speed limits and be considerate to others.”
A Glasgow City Council spokesperson added: “We jointly investigate all fatal road accidents with colleagues from Police Scotland.
“The investigation into the recent tragic incident at Thornwood Roundabout, which includes an assessment of any contributing factors, is still ongoing. Last week the Victoria Park Area Partnership Committee discussed the possibility of improvements at the roundabout when considering how to spend £ 1m allocated to the partnership through the council’s Infrastructure Improvement Fund.
“These discussions are at an early stage and further investigation, including a safety assessment of how the roundabout is operating, is required before any proposals can be considered. The decision on how the Infrastructure Improvement Fund is spent in each council ward is a matter for the area partnership concerned.”