Road Safety For Older People

Manchester City Council has been awarded funding of £500,000 to increase road safety measures for older people across Manchester.

The grant was given by the Department for Transport (DfT) under the Greater Manchester Local Transport Plan and is being used to specifically to help stop collisions involving the over 60s.

Tuffley Road at the junction with Firbank Road and Greenbrow Road in Baguley is one site earmarked as a priority.

The sites will involve a variety of measures from traffic islands, guard rails and visual aids such as flashing lights at crossings.

Manchester City Council Highways Services has already consulted with a number of residents, groups and organisations through the council’s Value in Older People scheme, as well as linking the proposed measures with other safety schemes including safe routes to school.

As a result of this consultation, trials and a feasibility study are currently being carried out on new measures, including alternatives for tactile, or paved areas at crossings, and the possibility of using pre-cast traffic islands.

The work on all sites will be staggered over the year and is expected to be completed in March 2010. There are unlikely to be any road closures during this work.

Councillor Richard Cowell, Executive Member for Environment said: “These areas have all been prioritised as requiring further treatment to help stop collisions involving older people. As a council we are committed to further increasing road safety measures for the people of Manchester – and especially our more vulnerable members.”