CAMPAIGNING Saddleworth mothers are appealing to the community to join their assault on speeding and road safety concerns in Dobcross.
Their focus is the road spanning a narrow ancient bridge between Wall Hill Road and Holy Trinity CE Primary School.
And they are launching two high petitions in their determination to seek change with a bid to have the path on the narrow bridge widened.
Linked to this, they want a 20mph speed limit crackdown across the whole village, including Delph New Road.
Jayne Gibson, 44, who lives on the road with her husband and two children, is spearheading the campaign.
She said: “Traffic speed is a huge concern, with the walk between my home and the school the most treacherous.
“My son Joseph started Holy Trinity school in September. I also have a six-month-old baby, Oliver, who I carry in a harness on my front when I do the school-run.
“Traffic speed along the road is a huge concern. But the walk to school and back and the narrow bridge is the most treacherous, hence the desire to start campaigning for change.
“It is very difficult to safely cross the road at most times and quite scary walking the path next to the road with vehicles travelling at 50mph or faster next to you.
“The bridge itself is only 60cm wide in places – too narrow for most prams, too narrow to walk with your child, and too narrow for wheelchairs.
“I had my arm hit by the wing-mirror of a passing car when walking the path on the bridge, as has another parent. Vehicles get very close to pedestrians on this path.
“And a council lorry also mounted the kerb when I was walking with my baby in the harness, just centimetres in front of us. The lorry was trying to avoid an oncoming car.
“This type of manoeuvre, where a vehicle moves extremely close to, touches or even mounts the kerb to avoid getting too close to oncoming traffic, is very common.
“Now parents who live very close to the school have told me they no longer walk but instead drive their children the short distance to school as they think it’s too dangerous.
“This increases the number of cars on the road and is also very damming, plus what a shame that they are too scared to cross the road or walk their children to school.”
The recently-formed Dobcross Road Safety Group is campaigning on the issues and encouraging the community to sign both online petitions to help them gather support.
You can see and sign both online petitions by going to:
1. https://you.38degrees.org.uk/p/20mphfordobcross
2. https://you.38degrees.org.uk/p/saferfootpathnarrowbridgedelphnewroad
Paper copies of the petitions will be made available in the coming weeks.
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