A mum whose son was injured during a collision in Reading has demanded that the speed limit of the road be reduced to 20mph.
Eleonora Galli has called for King’s Road to be reduced to 20mph and safety measures imposed after her son was injured during a crash.
The incident resulted in him requiring a year of rehabilitation.
Mrs Galli, aged 50, made a request for the lower speed limit at a full meeting of Reading Borough Council on January 27.
She said: “In May 2021, my son was involved in a serious road accident at the crossing on Kings Road, directly in front of the Hope & Bear pub. He spent a week in intensive care and required a full year to recover.
“We are lucky he is alive, but other families have not been so fortunate; I cannot forget the tragic loss of a young life at this exact spot in 2012.”
Harsh Dharmendra died in hospital after being hit by an Audi A1 that was being driven by Aadil Asghar in February 2012.
Asghar was sentenced to five years in prison for causing death by dangerous driving.
Mrs Galli said: “When I raised deep safety concerns with councillor Tony Page at the time, I was told that ‘the road is one of the safest when crossing properly.’ This deflects responsibility onto pedestrians and ignores the history of near-misses and accidents I have personally witnessed since.
“In the last nine years, this specific crossing has seen 12 pedestrian casualties, one fatal, five serious.
“If including the Reading College crossing, that figure rises to 25 pedestrian casualties. Furthermore, the failure of CCTV cameras at the time of my son’s accident created a total lack of accountability.”
She then called on the council to reduce the speed limit, upgrade the CCTV and conduct an audit into road safety measures.
Mrs Galli said: “It is inconceivable to think of other families going through the ordeal we and many others experienced, before these simple, life-saving measures are taken.”
Her requests were answered by John Ennis, the lead councillor for transport.
The prospect of reducing the limit from 30mph to 20mph was rejected.
Cllr Ennis (Labour, Southcote) said: I am sorry but there are currently no plans to introduce a 20mph limit on this section. Furthermore, speeding can only be enforced by the police.
“Traffic speeds are generally low due to congestion, and speed has not been identified as a likely factor in the casualty data.
“Signed-only 20mph limits have limited effect without physical calming measures, which would introduce new risks, particularly to vulnerable users on this busy corridor.
“We appreciate how important this issue is to you and to others affected by incidents at this location, and your concerns form an important part of our ongoing work to improve safety wherever possible.”
The council is currently transitioning to a new CCTV contract, with the installation of any new equipment requiring investment.
Also, it is reviewing casualty data to determine whether any reasonable layout changes could reduce the likelihood of future incidents, which would then be reported to the council’s traffic management sub-committee.
