After months of delay, Transport Scotland has finally provided me with an update on my calls for improved safety at pedestrian crossings on South Anderson Drive.

Transport Scotland has confirmed to me that they still intend to install additional traffic lights on a cantilever over the pedestrian crossing on South Anderson Drive just uphill from Broomhill Road. In an e-mail to me Transport Scotland’s Road Safety Manager told me this work should be completed “before the end of March”. Whilst this is welcome news, in February last year Transport Scotland told me these cantilevered traffic lights would be installed by March 2016.

The Road Safety Manager makes no mention in her e-mail of the additional warning signs which Transport Scotland said would be installed by April 2016 and which still not have been installed.

Sadly, the Road Safety Manager also said in her e-mail that Transport Scotland do not plan to make any changes at the pedestrian crossing just uphill from the Garthdee roundabout – despite there being regular near misses and at least one pedestrian injured by a vehicles going through a red light at this crossing.

I have replied urging Transport Scotland to reconsider the decision not to take any action to tackle the problems at the crossing uphill from the Garthdee roundabout. I have also urged Transport Scotland to install the warning signs at the crossing uphill from the Broomhill Road roundabout without any further delay.

My view remains that red light cameras – which record the registration number of vehicles going through red lights – should be instilled at both these pedestrian crossings.

The e-mail from Transport Scotland’s Road Safety Manager states:

A90 South Anderson Drive – Crossing to the north of Broomhill Road roundabout

We remain committed to installing a cantilevered signal head at the signalised crossing north of Broomhill Drive Roundabout.  Following our previous correspondence we undertook detailed design and through this process a better location than that originally proposed was identified.  The new location offers better visibility of the signal head for drivers approaching giving them more time to react.  The new location does, however, mean that we required to undertake trial holes, as part of ground investigation surveys, to see whether it was feasible to put in the required foundation for the new signal head at the new location.  This work also determined the foundation type most appropriate to support the signal head at the new site. As the signal head design and foundation type are inextricably linked, this required reconsideration of the cantilevered signal head design.  As each cantilevered signal head is bespoke to the location at which it is placed, there is no standard kit or off-the-shelf type design.  While the design is still to be finalised installation is programmed for this financial year, that is, before the end of March.  While this may be taking longer than we would have hoped, it was important both that the best location was identified during the detailed design process and that the signalhead is delivered to the standard required for such structures.

A90 South Anderson Drive – Crossing directly to the north of Garthdee roundabout

In March 2017 we liaised with Police Scotland to understand whether they had any concerns and a number of local officers indicated that they were not aware of any issues relating to the operation of the crossing.  Our operating company subsequently visited the site on 14 June 2016 and reviewed the signing and road markings on the approach to the signals.  No scope for improvement was identified.  While the crossing sits in close proximity to the circulatory carriageway of the Garthdee Roundabout, the exit from the roundabout is fairly straight, providing good advance visibility to the signal heads.  Also, there are signal heads present for both nearside and offside lanes (two in the case of the offside) therefore drivers have clear visibility of the signals on the approach to the crossing.

For your awareness, we assess the safety performance of the trunk road network, including the A90 through Aberdeen, on an annual basis by screening all locations where three or more accidents have occurred in the preceding three year period.  Further investigations are carried out and, where appropriate, mitigation measures are prioritised and installed.  It is essential that we use the personal injury accident evidence available to enable us to prioritise resources across the country to effectively support the delivery of the Scottish Government’s 2020 casualty reduction targets.  Our injury accident database does not indicate a poorer than average accident record at this location which would currently justify any further detailed investigation.

However, we will continue to monitor the safety performance of the A90 at both of the above locations.

My reply to Transport Scotland states:

Thank you for your e-mail.

Whilst I welcome the commitment to install the cantilevered traffic lights at the pedestrian crossing north of Broomhill Road, I am very disappointed at the length of time this is taking. There are regular near misses at this pedestrian crossing and ever day of delay increases the risk to people using the pedestrian crossing.

Could you tell me please why was I told in February last year that this work would be completed within just a few weeks – by the end of March 2016 – if, as you tell me, “each cantilevered signal head is bespoke to the location at which it is placed, there is no standard kit or off-the-shelf design”?

I also note that your e-mail to me makes no mention of the additional warning signs which I was told in February last year would be installed “in April 2016”. When is this signing now to be installed?

Turning to the crossing just north of the Garthdee roundabout, I am concerned and disappointed that Transport Scotland intends to take no action. There are regular near misses at this crossing when drivers go through red lights and, despite Transport Scotland previously telling me there had been no injury accidents at this crossing, there has been at least one accident which hospitalised a pedestrian.

I urge Transport Scotland to reconsider the decision not to act to improve pedestrian safety at this crossing.

My view remains that safety at both these pedestrian crossings would be improved by the installation of red light cameras and I once again that this is done.

‎I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards

Ian

Ian Yuill

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