By Cllr Rob White
In his speech to Conservative Party conference, disappointingly Rishi Sunak confirmed plans to clamp down on councils that want to introduce 20mph zones, low traffic neighbourhoods and other measures designed to make residential streets safer and our air cleaner.
We are not just a nation of drivers as Rishi Sunak claims – despite 13 years of Tory policies designed to force us into cars. We are drivers, public transport users, cyclists, wheelers and walkers.
Many people in Reading don’t have access to cars. Many others would rather not use them but feel forced into doing so because the alternatives are unreliable, expensive or unsafe.
Safer, quieter streets shouldn’t be about politics. But Rishi Sunak, in his desperation to steer a few voters his way, is using motoring to drive a new culture war.
Evidence shows that a child hit by a vehicle travelling at 30mph is seven times more likely to be killed than if hit by a vehicle travelling at 20mph.
We need a national and local transport strategy that improves the experience for all transport users, one that prioritises active travel and public transport users because of its wider benefits on health, safety and the climate.
By moving people from cars to buses, trains, bicycles and foot, roads can be freed up for those who really need to drive particular journeys.
Greens call for action to make Kings Road and Cemetery Junction safer
Tragically Kings Road and Cemetery Junction have an appalling track record on road safety. For the last five years that data is available for there have been two deaths, 11 serious accidents and numerous minor incidents where someone has been injured and the police have been called out.
The reasons for these accidents are complex, but there are patterns such as a concentration outside Reading College and drivers turning across a bus lane and colliding with a cyclist or motorcyclist.
Green councillors called for a working group to look at improving road safety in this area but disappointingly Labour voted this down.
If you agree that action is needed to improve road safety on Kings Road and at Cemetery Junction please sign our petition here: https://bit.ly/kingsrdpetition
Greens are the second largest party in Reading
As the main opposition party on Labour-run Reading Council Green councillors will continue to work constructively to get the best for Reading residents.
There are now seven Green Party councillors and we are now two councillors ahead of the Conservatives. We will keep working hard all year round on the issues that matter to residents.
If you’re keen on being part of the change in Reading, get involved and help us make Reading fairer, greener and cleaner: reading.greenparty.org.uk/get-involved
By Green Party councillor Rob White, leader of the main opposition group on Reading Borough Council
