A Brechin councillor has backed calls for a new crossing at a traffic hotspot in the town.
Councillor Gavin Nicol had a site visit with officers from the local authority after being contacted by a number of constituents concerned about crossing the road near the roundabout at Trinity Road.
Mr Nicol said: “This area has been a significant cause for concern for some time now.
“The area around the Co-op and car showroom can see some extremely heavy traffic, with some of it servicing Montrose and Aberdeen.
“I’ve been told that there are not enough pedestrians trying to get across the road to justify a crossing but the fact is that people just don’t want to risk it and cross elsewhere instead – it’s a catch 22 situation and action needs to be taken to resolve it.
“In my view, we cannot wait for someone to be seriously injured or worse before a crossing is introduced here. One accident is one too many.
“There are a number of bus stops in close proximity, and people have told me that after coming off the rural bus, they have great difficulty getting across the road.
“The situation is, of course, very much worse for people who are visually impaired or have mobility issues, some of whom are forced to take a longer route to cross the road safely.
“Council officers have said that there is no money for a crossing this year and possibly next, but this is an important issue that I will keep fighting for.”
One Brechin resident, Sandra Ferguson, has been campaigning for a safe crossing for two years after growing increasingly concerned for the safety of her elderly mother when crossing the road.
“She said: “My mother is 84 and has macular degeneration and is registered as blind, but is very independent.
“The traffic there can be very fast, and if there is a bus parked at one of the bus stops, cars sometimes swerve out into the road to get past them.
“What makes it worse is that that the Co-op is the only supermarket at that side of town, so people need to be able to cross.
“The brae is also a blind-spot, and I’ve seen children on bikes and mothers with prams making a run for it to get across.
“I think traffic lights would be the best option for a crossing, as they give an audible indication when it is safe to cross.”
“The current policy is for people to live as independently as possible for as long as possible, but we need the infrastructure to be in place for that to happen.”
