A ROAD SAFETY campaigner has won his battle with Coventry council over ‘dangerous’ signage around the city.
Westwood resident Richard Heneghan has spent the last 15 months lobbying the council to rectify incorrect signs round the city only to be assured numerous times by councillors that signage across the city was correct.
But the council has now made a u-turn on their assertions – confirming the removal of some signs and an investigation into further incorrect signage.
Among other concerns, Mr Heneghan complained about a one-way street sign at the junction of Park Road and Manor Road, a two-way street, and a bus gate sign at the start of Stoney Road which, if read correctly, would see motorists driving on the wrong side of the road into oncoming traffic.
The sign at the junction of Park Road and Manor Road.
The sign signals a one-way traffic street. s
But on two occasions he was rebuffed by senior council officials, who claimed in emails to Mr Heneghan that all of Coventry’s signage was compliant with the Department for Transport (DFT).
At a full council meeting in January then cabinet member for city services Coun Rachel Lancaster said that all the road signage in Coventry was DfT compliant – an assertion that was also echoed on October 11 at another full council meeting by current cabinet member, Coun Jayne Innes.
The sign on Stoney Road.
If read correctly, some drivers could end up driving on the right-hand side of the road into incoming traffic. s
However, Coventry City Council confirmed on its Twitter account yesterday (November 22) that it would in fact be removing the sign at the junction of Park Road and Manor Road and would investigate the bus gate sign on Stoney Road.
Council tweets confirming they would look into and remove the incorrect signage.
Welcoming the news, Westwood Conservative councillor Tim Mayer said: “I have been appalled at the treatment of Mr Heneghan by senior councillors and surprised his concerns have been dismissed in the way they have been.
“The news that some of the signage of concern to Mr Heneghan is now being removed is a worry given the assurances myself and other councillors have been given.
“My major concern is that road safety has been compromised due to revenue driven through traffic fines.”
Coun Mayer quizzed Coun Innes at the October full council meeting about bus gate signage around the city and put forward a motion to notify all motorists who had been wrongly fined at unauthorised bus gates around the city earlier this year that they were due reimbursement.
However, the motion was rejected by the ruling Labour party.
He also plans to table questions at December’s full council meeting about signage at the Warwick Road bus gate, which he believes could lead drivers to dangerously ‘back out onto a roundabout or stop suddenly’.
Coun Mayer added: “The concern I have is that incorrect signage increases the public’s chance of making an error, and therefore endangers life.
“I hope the council look again at all our signage and ensure they are in fact fit, proper and complaint.”
