Appeal for improved safety at town centre crossings

SAFETY concerns have been raised about three pedestrian crossings in the town centre. 

Local resident Caroline Fielding, who is registered blind and is assisted by her guide dog Mike, is appealing for the three crossings located at the High Street/Church Street junction to have audible signals to indicate when it is safe to cross. 

Currently the three crossings are silent – instead, sight-impaired residents like Caroline use a tactile indicator on the underside of the crossing box, which ‘spins’ when it is safe to cross. 

However, Caroline says that due to narrow pavements, other pedestrians, and congestion at busy times, it is not always easy to access the tactile indicator. 

“The most difficulty I have is at the crossing outside the nail bar on the High Street,” explains Caroline. “The pavement is very narrow there and I am often jostled by other pedestrians because space is so limited – and have been pushed into the road on a few occasions.  It’s never deliberate; just not enough space.   

“I can only stand right next to the button box because I have to feel the cone underneath spin when it is safe to cross. If the pavement is busy it is difficult for me to get to the cone at times. And I can’t cross when I notice sighted people crossing, because they often cross when they see a break in the traffic and can dodge the cars. I can’t do that. 

“I would also like the convenience of crossing diagonally across those roads, as sighted people can, knowing all the crossings are at stop for the cars.” 

According to Caroline, the three crossings were not originally fitted with audible signals as they previously did not work in sync.  “The main reason for it not being audible, historically, was that there are other crossings close by, which will cause confusion,” said Caroline. “So, if you were to hear the crossing nearby, you could mistakenly cross while your light was still red. That was only a problem when the three crossings worked independently. However, they now all work together, so there is no longer a problem.” 

Caroline has also been told that the three crossings cannot have audible signals as they could confuse pedestrians waiting to cross at the crossing between the Parsons Nose pub and Costa Coffee, on the High Street – an explanation backed by Wiltshire Council in response to her concerns. 

However, Caroline has rubbished Wiltshire Council’s reasoning, questioning how it can be one rule for the crossing outside Costa Coffee, and another for  the crossings at the High Street/Church Street junction. 

“The Costa crossing is audible! So their argument doesn’t hold out because surely the crossing outside Costa would therefore impact on the Church Street crossings,” she said. 

In response to Caroline’s concerns, Wiltshire Council’s cabinet member for transport, cllr Dr Mark McClelland, told Melksham News, “We have previously investigated the crossings at these junctions and the possibility of installing audible signals. Unfortunately, whilst the crossings at the Church Street junction are linked, the crossing to the north by the Parsons Nose pub is a standalone signal. The proximity of this crossing to Church Street, prohibits the use of bleepers, as the noise may confuse users in quieter periods. 

“Pedestrians should always follow the correct routes whenever they cross a junction. The traffic signal equipment is set up to identify when pedestrians cross within the defined crossing areas, and if necessary, extend time to aid those who need more time to cross, or shorten and cancel demands it no longer detects if users are able to cross quicker or move away from the crossing area. Users who cross diagonally risk the junction detection failing to identify them and reverting priority to vehicles.”