Bogside residents and young people urge motorists to slow down when driving through the area ahead of works

Several residents joined Sinn Féin Councillor Patricia Logue and activists from the Bogside and Brandywell on Friday afternoon for a protest on the Lecky Road.

It’s part of continuing road safety campaign in the area and residents have decided to make their voices heard ahead of major work that is to take place in the vicinity of the Lecky Road Flyover, Westland Street and Meenan Square .

Speaking to the ‘Journal’ Colr. Logue said: “We felt it was important to hold this traffic safety awareness event in the Bogside. Even in the time we have been here it’s easy to see how busy the area is with traffic.

“In the coming months there will be a lot of activity in the area with major regeneration projects underway. With that there will be heavy machinery and traffic disruption.”

Colr. Logue noted that the area has a high concentration of residential housing but is also extremely busy with through-traffic. This, she said, has obvious road safety implications.

She said: “Westland Street and around the Lecky Road Flyover is one of the busiest in the city with heavy traffic all the time. This is a built-up area and there is a concern from residents that many drivers are travelling far too fast and more than 30mph.

“In some cases, drivers are simply driving straight on at the crossings or approaching them too fast.

“Excess speed reduces drivers’ stoppage time and distance in the event of an accident.

“I would make an appeal for drivers to slow down and keep within the speed limit.”

The protest was part of a wider campaign in the Moor District Electoral Area (DEA) that has seen residents call for motorists to slow down when traversing the junctions of Elmwood Terrace,Eastway Road, Laburnum Terrace and Westland Street, as well as other stretches of the Lone Moor.