Safety fears raised over cars driving along unclassified and rocky road
Andrew Hirst
Concerns have been raised about cars driving along an unclassified Lerwick road and damaging its surface.
Lerwick Community Council agreed to highlights problems with the state of Staney Hill Road to the SIC’s roads officer, following its meeting last night.
Member Arwed Wenger had taken photos of the road, which he said cars were driving on, leading to the surface breaking up.
Part of the road, near to the Anderson High School, has been covered with tarmac and designated 20mph. However, after passing a national speed limit sign, it climbs steeply with a rocky surface.
Chairman Jim Anderson said he felt it “ridiculous” that anyone would consider driving along the hill at 60mph.
“There shouldn’t be any vehicles going up and down that road,” he added.
Councillors agreed to ask the SIC about the status of the road and what could be done about access, signage and the surfacing.
Gerald Freshwater
If this route is a public road, surely the local authority has a duty to maintain it in usable condition? It carries little traffic, but that is no reason to close it, and it is perfectly passable by any suitable vehicle. The local farmer will require to use it with tractors and other heavy vehicles, in order to have access to their stock and land, so it cannot reasonably be closed to all traffic.
Over the past forty years, more and more public access has been restricted throughout Shetland, some by land owners, but often by the local authority, on dubious grounds of liability for “health and safety”, or just cost. Perhaps it should be clearly justified in every case?
Arwed Wenger
The point for my concern regarding the condition of this road is the issue it is life-threatening dangerous for people using it, especially for young children on their bicycles riding downhill. If they get in one of the eroded tracks and/or try to reduce speed by applying the brakes on the meanwhile gravel type like surface they have a big problem not to fall. A fall could cause severe injuries.
An additional danger for cyclists as for pedestrians is the speed and ignorance of vehicle drivers regarding other road users.