Slow down or lives will be lost, warns Duddy

Sinn Féin Councillor for The Moor District Electoral Area (DEA), Sharon Duddy, issued the warning after several constituents complained of motorists driving straight through the pedestrian crossing aids.

Colr. Duddy said she felt it was important for road users to show due care and attention on the approach roads to the busy pedestrian crossings, one at the junction of Rossville Street and Westland Street, and the other at Free Derry Corner.

This, she stressed, was especially true during the dark and inclement winter months and with many people out and about at the moment taking advantage of the Boxing Day and January sales.

She said: “I have been contacted by a number of residents who use the pedestrian crossings at the bottom of the Lecky Road Flyover and at Westland Street on a daily basis.

“And they have asked me to make an urgent appeal to the motorists to show due and care and attention on approaching the crossings in the area especially during wet and windy weather conditions.”

She said she understood that many commuters used the flyover, Lecky Road and Rossville Street - a section of the B507 road that stretches from the Craigavon Bridge to Templemore Sports Complex - to get from one side of the city to the other.

But she said motorists needed to bear in mind that the road is crossed by hundreds of Bogside residents going about their business on a daily basis and they needed to be respected.

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

“Excess speed reduces drivers’ stoppage time and distance in the event of an accident,” warned the Sinn Féin councillor.