Rush Hour & a Traffic Survey!

by Mick Coats

EARLIER this year we found out that a local councillor had commissioned a traffic survey (at a cost of £4,500) to specifically identify where parking and waiting restrictions could be introduced on Rooley Moor Road.  This was to increase traffic flow and visibility.  It takes one minute and 30 seconds to travel this route and there have been little or no problems of hold ups.   There have been very few (and no serious) accidents along this short stretch of residential road. Furthermore it is not the main through route to town.  The problem is that the introduction of these measures would result in speeding cars going even more quickly and making the road more dangerous.  This has been pointed out to councillors and the Chief Executive but has been ignored.

In October, two residents of Rooley Moor Road,  Carl Faulkner and Mick Coats, met with Councillor Rana to discuss the issue.  He agreed that the intended outcome of the survey would result with an increase in cars speeding along this road and said he would look into the possibility of stopping the survey.

He subsequently emailed that he could not stop the survey as it was 'imminent and will happen very soon (and) can not be stopped now '.  However an email from highways received shortly afterwards says that 'Due to current workload the scheme has yet to be assigned an engineer'.

Not what you would call 'imminent'.

In response to this Councillor Biant saw fit to insult the residents concerned and ignore the issues raised.

A subsequent email to Councillor Rana asking for clarification has been unanswered.
Why do these public servants show such contempt for the residents of Rochdale?  They appear to believe that they have a sense of entitlement to do as they wish.  The record of public servants in Rochdale is appalling.  The council leader is currently in front of the Standards committee, the previous leader being investigated by the police and an MP (fully supported by both of these people) fell from office after sex texting a 17 year old.

As described in Private Eye, Rochdale has certainly become a rotten borough.

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