‘It’s a hazard!’ Cyclist’s concern over traffic calming measures in Pevensey Bay

A cyclist has raised concerns about ‘dangerous’ traffic calming measures in the area after a near miss.
Traffic calming island on Wallsend Road, Pevensey Bay (Photo by Jon Rigby) inset: Jim BondTraffic calming island on Wallsend Road, Pevensey Bay (Photo by Jon Rigby) inset: Jim Bond
Traffic calming island on Wallsend Road, Pevensey Bay (Photo by Jon Rigby) inset: Jim Bond

Jim Bond says narrow traffic islands urgently need replacing after his wife Kitty was knocked by a car while cycling through one in Wallsend Road, just south of Pevensey Bay railway station.

The 62-year-old from Herstmonceux said, “They are really dangerous.

Traffic calming island on Wallsend Road, Pevensey Bay (Photo by Jon Rigby)Traffic calming island on Wallsend Road, Pevensey Bay (Photo by Jon Rigby)
Traffic calming island on Wallsend Road, Pevensey Bay (Photo by Jon Rigby)
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“There’s one island in the middle of the road, I went through with my wife and she was pushed aside by a car that squeezed through.

“It’s a narrow hazard they have made. If you’re cycling through you become a human traffic calming measure.”

He said most drivers slow down for cyclists at these obstacles, but “when some prefer to press their way through, what was meant to be a safety measure soon becomes something far more sinister and likely to cause death or serious injury.”

Mr Bond, a published author of 14 books, said he contacted the county council to raise the issue, but was surprised with the response he received.

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He said, “The council said yes the island was installed years ago and it doesn’t meet the current regulations and is dangerous.

“They said it’s against guidelines but there’s no money to change it, sorry about that.”

He said, “I used to be a business owner, if you have something in your business against regulations you can’t afford to change, you have to change it, you can’t just sit on it. I know how regulations change but you have to keep up with them.

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“They really are dangerous and it’s not a good idea to overtake cyclists through them. The council should be encouraging cycling not making it a dangerous sport.”

Another spot he says is hazardous is on the A271 just east of Herstmonceux.

Responding to these concerns, an East Sussex County Council spokesperson said, “As with all highway improvement schemes and traffic management measures that we implement, the island on Wallsend Road would have met all relevant guidance when it was built.

“We have very limited funding for transport improvements and need to ensure that this funding is directed to sites where it will have most impact and where the identified road safety need is greatest.”