No U Turns Here

A lovely sunny afternoon in Redbridge, ideal conditions for meeting local councillors to see first hand the problems of U turns on the A12. There have been several serious accidents outside Newbury Park Station where foolish drivers ignore the warning signs and use the gap in the central reservation to turn 180 degrees into the opposite lane. I met Cllr Vanessa Cole and Cllr Ruth Clark, along with a photographer from the Ilford Recorder, and we caught pictures of several cars breaking the law in the ten minutes or so that we were present.

The most obvious solution is to close the gap but this would inconvenience law abiding drivers and prevent access to the station forecourt. It would also move the U turn problem down the road to the next junction. So some serious enforcement is required with heavy fines and licences revoked. This will require a police presence or permanent CCTV. I have already raised the issue with TfL and posed a question to the Mayor himself.

And motorists aren't the only ones running risks here. I photographed a group of three pedestrians running across the road - there's a well used and well lit subway right under their feet.