Villagers say twenty's plenty
KINGUSSIE Community Councillors are calling for 20mph speed limits in streets where there are no pavements or payments only on one side.
The proposal was made by Mairi Brown and Valerie Emmett who said local parents of young children and elderly people felt the roads were unsafe for pedestrians.
However, at the moment Highland Council has not allocated any funding for 20mph speed limit schemes in residential areas until 2012/13.
The councillors’ plea followed a speech about speed limits made by Highland Council’s Principal Engineer Andrew MacIver at a Ward Forum meeting in Dulnain Bridge Community Hall on Wednesday.
Mrs Brown said: "I have been approached by a number of people in Kingussie with young kids about the fact that a lot of streets in residential areas don’t have pavements and they feel it’s unsafe.
"A number of elderly people, some in their eighties and nineties, have also said they don’t feel safe while walking to the shops on streets without pavements as they have to walk further into the middle of the roads."
She added: "I have been to the Central Belt and Angus where through roads like Kingussie High Street have a 30mph limit but roads off the main streets have many "20’s plenty" signs. It surely wouldn’t cost a lot to put up such signs in the side streets?
"It’s got to stop now, people are saying: "Are we going to have to wait to the stage where someone is getting hurt before doing anything? Ideally 20mph speed limits should be brought in by the council but if this is not possible then the "20’s plenty signs would be a start."
Mrs Emmet said work was due to start on the new Kingussie waste water treatment plant soon and this would bring large vehicles into the town. A 20mph limit would certainly be appropriate for the duration of the scheme.
Rachel Hewson, who sits on the local primary school parent council and whose son Charles (8) attends the school, said: "It’s particulary important on roads where there are no pavements. Certainly Ardbroilach Road, Pait’s Brae and Dunbarry Road could certainly all do with 20mph speed limits, cars zip along much faster than 20mph. These roads are so narrow that in some instances there isn’t room for two cars to pass."
A Highland Council spokesman said: "An assessment criteria for prioritising future 20mph schemes has been developed by the Council. No funding has been allocated for 20mph speed limit schemes in residential areas until 2012/13. The request for an advisory 20’s Plenty limit scheme in Kingussie will be considered, if appropriate alternative means of funding could be identified."
