By Claire Warrender

FIFE COUNCIL’S traffic calming policy in towns and villages across the kingdom has come under fire from a disabled woman who claims the introduction of speed humps could exacerbate her condition.

The council is introducing 20 mph zones in all residential streets over the next few years in a bid to improve road safety and create safer routes to schools.

However, the fact that speed humps and cushions will be used to help implement the policy in some areas has caused anguish for Aberdour woman Judith McRorie, who suffers constant pain from osteoarthritis and cervical spondilitis.

She said travelling over speed humps increased her pain and caused her neck problems, but added that her appeals for the installation of alternative traffic calming measures had fallen on deaf ears.

“As I have problems with chronic pain, general osteoarthritis and cervical spondilitis, I was concerned to discover that Fife’s roads department wants to install numerous speed humps and cushions in Aberdour and other local villages in order to implement a 20 mph speed limit on side roads,” she said.

“I have no argument with the speed restrictions but the methods of implementation. Aberdour is a village with many elderly and infirm people for whom this style of road management is less suitable.”

One of the streets to be given speed humps will be Murrell Road, where Mrs McRorie lives, and she warned, “I would not hesitate in suing Fife Council should either my person or my car suffer damage due to travelling over speed humps every day.”

She has suggested that other methods of speed reduction could be used, such as nibs or flashing lights.

Mrs McRorie has sought advice from various bodies, including the Fife Independent Disability Network, the Disabled Drivers’ Association and the Department of Transport, and has written to the Scottish Executive in protest at the policy.

However, Fife Council’s area transportation plan team leader, Murray Hannah, yesterday insisted that the speed humps met national requirements and would not disadvantage people with disabilities.

“Better road safety around schools and safer walking and cycling routes to schools is a very high priority for Fife Council,” he said.

“The Scottish Executive shares this priority through the grant of ring-fenced money to Scottish local authorities to deliver 20 mph zones in support of these objectives.”

Mr Hannah said Fife’s programme of 20 mph zones was well under way and would include all residential streets, although he indicated it would take a few years to complete.

“These zones are now being introduced as mandatory speed limits which, under good practice guidance from the Scottish Executive, require to be reasonably self-enforcing,” he added.

“This makes it necessary in some instances to introduce physical traffic calming features.

“Speed humps and cushions are used for this purpose and they are being installed to a specification which meets national requirements and which have been agreed with the emergency services and bus operators.

“These features do not extinguish nor prejudice traffic movements and, in conjunction with appropriate vehicle speeds, do not disadvantage drivers or passengers with a disability.

“The reduction in speeds that are achieved makes a major contribution to a reduction in the severity of traffic crashes, particularly to the young and vulnerable.”

Mr Hannah said an extensive community consultation exercise was carried out in Aberdour and the proposals had been adjusted as a result.

He concluded, “The council’s area services committee carefully considered the few remaining objections and decided that all reasonable steps had been taken to address the concerns.

“The scheme, which can now be implemented, contains very few physical calming features.”