A PETITION has been launched to prevent residents from taking ‘their life into their own hands’ when crossing the ‘unsafe’ Westlands roundabout.
Many living on the Droitwich estate said it could take them between five to ten minutes to cross the island due to congested traffic and speeding drivers.
Tony Libetta, Chairman of the Westlands Resident Association, said it was a miracle no-one had been seriously injured or killed.
“The people on this estate need to see things be done – they feel unwanted.”
Another resident, David Evident, added: “I feel like it is only a matter of time until someone gets killed.
“It feels like you are pushing rocks up hills – and the roundabout is a big rock.”
The roundabout is fed into by the A38, the main road connecting Droitwich to Bromsgrove.
It can take a resident five to ten minutes to cross the busy roundabout.
The high-density use of the road with many people walking across the roundabout to do their shopping at Lidl or Aldi has also raised concerns among councillors.
Coun Richard Morris has raised the issue before and has set up the petition to add weight to the cause.
He said: “I fear that there is going to be serious accident.
“The crossing is needed primarily for the safety of the residents and secondly for connectivity between the residents and the town.”
The petition has so far 174 signatures out of its goal of 200.
Worcestershire County Council had submitted a proposal for the allocation of the DFT’s Active Travel Capital Fund in 2021, of which the Westlands roundabout was a key part.
However, the funding application was rejected.
Coun Mike Rouse, Worcestershire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “We remain committed to working on proposals to deliver a crossing at Westlands roundabout, which will help promote active travel – walking, cycling and wheeling, whether for accessing the shops or going to school, and we will continue to explore opportunities to apply for alternative funding to enable delivery.
“We are yet to formally receive the petition as it is still open and gathering signatures, but once it is received, it will be considered and responded to appropriately as an important way of demonstrating local demand for the scheme.”
Click here to sign the petition.
