Children and parents from a Twickenham primary school have demanded safety improvements to the St Margarets Roundabout crossing following a protest.
A swell of families from the St Stephen’s School community were also joined by dozens of residents, Munira Wilson MP and Richmond Council leader Gareth Roberts, at the demonstration which happened on Friday.
The protest – which took place next to the A316 crossing – came after a parent-led petition aimed at London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Transport for London (TfL) reached 2,500 signatures.
Laura Kerry, who organised the petition, told the Londoners: “For years, residents have been asking for a safer road and a safer crossing.
“We’ve tried engaging with TfL but our concerns are delayed, minimised or dismissed.
“It’s an accident waiting to happen – we should not have to feel unsafe walking our children to school.”
Watch the video below to find out more about the reasons why the St Stephen’s School community are protesting:
Among the protesters’ demands was more time for people to cross the road, signage that increases awareness of the school zone, and strengthened barriers on the pedestrian island.
The petition gathered pace after a number of accidents involving the four-lane road crossing, which many families use to get to school.
In January last year, Rosie Greaves and her three young children were narrowly missed by a driver asleep at the wheel, who crashed through the barriers of the pedestrian refuge.
The incident had a profound impact on St Stephen’s students, according to Year 6 pupil Nithila Perera.
“I see loads of stuff on the news that there are so many crashes- it’s really, really dangerous,” he said.
“After the car crash, me and my mum were going to the library when we saw all the broken bars.
“It was pretty scary for me.”
Lucy Hamilton, a St Stephen’s parent, agreed that crossing at peak times can be a troubling experience.
“It is quite treacherous,” she said.
“It’s intimidating when you’re in the middle of the road and the cars are flying past.
“You can’t always trust the children not to go until there is a green man signal- I’d like to see the speed limit come down.”
The full demands of the petition are:
- Adjust traffic light phasing at St Margarets roundabout to allow pedestrians enough time to cross
- Strengthen physical barriers to protect pedestrians and cyclists
- A timeline for reducing the speed limit from 40mph to 30mph from St Margarets roundabout to Twickenham Bridge
- Enhance signage for the new 30mph section between St Margarets roundabout and London Road roundabout
- Separate pedestrian and cycle paths between St Margarets roundabout to Twickenham Bridge
Richmond council leader Gareth Roberts, who also sits on the London Assembly, praised residents for bringing attention to the crossing.
At Friday’s protest, he said: “The protestors have been working so hard on this for the last few years.
“We’ve been able to amplify their voice- it’s vital that you’ve got people with a platform who can bring TfL to the table.
When asked if he had a message for Sadiq Khan, the Liberal Democrat said: “Make this junction safe for people to get to school- it’s not a big ask in the 21st century.”
Roberts was also joined by fellow Lib Dem, Twickenham MP Munira Wilson, who vowed to throw her support behind the campaign.
She said: “I don’t think there is much that’s more important to any local community than keeping our children safe.
“There are hundreds of children going to St Stephen’s School feeling like the road crossing and the pavements are not safe because of the bad traffic arrangements on this roundabout.
“We’ve got to do some work on this.”
Dozens of pupils attending the protest chanted ‘keep us safe’ and held a number of signs calling on Sadiq Khan to take action.
St Stephen’s headteacher Elizabeth Bachour echoed concerns about the safety of the school community.
In a statement, she said: “The current situation poses an unacceptable level of risk.
Bachour also pointed to instances where parents and children were left stranded on the small island in the middle of the road, because they didn’t have enough time to cross.
“It is only a matter of time before a tragic accident occurs,” she added.
When approached by the Londoners, TfL stated they have already made significant safety improvements, including traffic signal retiming and speed limit reductions.
A TfL spokesperson said: “Throughout the capital, we use a data-led approach to reducing danger and targeting investment in safety.
“Keeping everyone safe is our top priority and we’re determined to ensure that changes to London’s roads ensure safety is improved.
TfL added further speed surveys around the area will take place in November, which will help determine if further safety measures including barriers around the pedestrian island are required.
They said they are also exploring options to increase the signage that highlights the crossing after repeated red light violations.
Featured image credit: Ben Sturt
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