Residents call for speed restrictions

Tuesday 03 July 2018

Following an accident at the junction of Route De Cobo and Ruette Du Villocq, residents are again asking for speed restrictions at what they call a "black spot."

On Sunday afternoon a vehicle allegedly lost control going around the bend in the wet conditions and collided with the electricity cabinet at the junction. This has now caused further disruption as the road will be one way from today whilst Guernsey Electricity reinstates the electric station.

Concerned residents in the area have said the bend is dangerous, pointing out vehicles crossing the white line while making the corner, while speaking to Express.

Talking about the accident on Sunday 1 July, Sarah Garrard said: "I live right here and was first on the scene. The car was coming round the bend and slipped in the wet and span into the electricity sub station next to the phone box, he was very lucky as the sub station was smoking."

She said speed was an issue on the bend: "There is a problem even if you come round this corner at the speed limit of 35 miles per hour. This is just the most recent incident but there was a previous accident where a wall got taken out a couple of years ago by a lorry in the wet and buses and cars continually hit the edge of properties. People come round this corner at the speed limit of 35 miles per hour and you often see them veer onto the opposite side of the road. Instead of slowing down to take the corner people just move into the middle of the road."

Ross Le Brun who also lives in the area said: "It is pure luck that nobody has had a serious accident here. It is such a busy road but it is so narrow and such an s-bend and people don't slow down.  When buses are traveling west any other vehicles travelling in the other direction have to mount the pavement and this is a busy pedestrian area too with Sausmarez Park close and the L'Aumone surgery. It is basically the main thoroughfare for vehicles from the west to town."

"Something like this could be resolved quickly by reducing the speed limit," he said, "someone could have got killed on Sunday, if there had been people at the bus stop or walking on the pavement. It really is an accident waiting to happen.

"The simplest thing is to put a 20 or 25 mile per hour speed limit in, which is in my opinion the only safe way to navigate the s-bend."

Last year Mr Le Brun also asked for a crossing to be installed in the area as he said it is very busy with lots of people, including young families, crossing at that point to go to the park or to walk to Castel School.

Eleven year old Thomas Garrard said it was a dangerous place to cross: "cars go by so fast when I see it's free and there are no cars coming to cross I literally have to leg it cause cars come really fast round the corner. I think the road should be made so cars have to go slower as they go way too fast normally and it is really hard to see past the corners."

Pictured: Thomas Garrard, Castel School pupil

Residents also said that the warning signs for the bend were not visible soon enough to warn traffic of the area and also were becoming overgrown on both sides of the bend. They believed that if these were more prominent and the speed limit reduced along the whole of the road right up to Sausmarez Park things would be a lot safer for drivers and pedestrians.

Pictured: Warning signs difficult to see

The road will now be one way from L'Aumone towards Sausmarez Park from today until further notice whilst Guernsey Electricity work to reinstate the sub station following the collision on Sunday. 

Guernsey Police said: "Further to the emergency closure by Guernsey Electricity of the above road due to an RTC at the weekend from early Tuesday morning, the road will be a one-way from L'Aumone towards Saumarez Park, with inbound traffic being diverted along Rue Cohu and Le Friquet. Inevitably, this will lead to congestion in the road network around Le Friquet / Landes du Marche / Rue Cohu area. Motorists are stongly advised to consider using an alternative route, and allowing extra time for their journey."

Pictured: Area to be one way in green

Pictured main image: Ross Le Brun and his 17 month old son Otis