An Ely dad has rallied the support of 300 people in campaigning for a zebra/pedestrian crossing near a school due to a "dangerous road that could potentially be a fatality in waiting".
Suneet Bakarania, whose child attends the Lantern Primary School, launched a petition for a crossing near Nene Road (near the school).
Having recently moved into the new Lantern Croft development off Cam Drive, he says that many children who live there either attend the Lantern Primary School or Ely College - both of whom are supporting his petition.
"We are all forced to cross the extremely busy Cam Drive to take our children to school," he said.
"The teenagers who attend the college are also having to cross this dangerous road," he added, saying that crossing the road can take an average waiting time of seven minutes during rush hour in the morning and afternoons.
As the new housing development is situated "in the middle of a bend in both directions", he said this makes it "extremely dangerous for both adults and children when trying to cross".
And, because there is also no footpath on the new residential side of the road, he said "crossing the dangerous road is the only option we have.
"This could potentially be a fatality in waiting and the local residents are requesting a zebra or traffic light crossing to be installed."
Cllr Rebecca Denness, for Ely West Ward, and chair of the climate and environment committee at City of Ely Council, said: “I’m grateful to Mr Bakarania for setting up his campaign to get a crossing built as it would make youngsters’ walk to and from school and college - including traversing Cam Drive - safer.
“Road safety around schools is a perennial concern, which is why I wrote to Ely primary headteachers drawing their attention to a Cambridgeshire County Council initiative as the local highways authority to improve it.
“The City of Ely Council’s bid to construct a crossing outside St John’s Community Primary School to the country council was successful several years ago,” she added.
“It would’ve fantastic to repeat this success.
“This case does demonstrate how important it is that ECDC, as planning authority, gets infrastructure correct before new developments are inhabited. Then Mr Bakarania’s campaign would not be necessary.”
Anthony Aguda, headteacher at Lantern Community Primary School, said: “The safety of our school community is of paramount importance and, working with local partners, we educate our pupils on road safety, particularly when getting to and from school, and we have plans to further this next year.
“We also work with parents and carers so they consider how they are bringing their child to the school, and parking, when here.
“Where possible, we encourage walking or cycling to school.
“Our school community is always supportive of our work in this area, and, in turn, we would be supportive of anything that makes the roads surrounding our school and further afield as safe as possible.”
One of the parents who is supporting the petition, Helen Northen, is a resident on the other side of Cam Drive.
She said: "There is a steady increase in traffic along Cam Drive, particularly during school drop off and pick up hours due to the number of schools located in the area.
"As a result, it can take a long time for there to be an adequate break in the traffic for safe crossing at the Lantern Croft end of Cam Drive with no pedestrian crossing.
"A crossing would make so much sense for the safety of pedestrians and hopeful help slow traffic which is often speeding at this point in the road."
With plans to present the petition to the City of Ely Council, Mr Bakarania hopes to get as many signatures as possible by his deadline of August 16.
To sign the online petition, click here.
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