Agenda item
Questions and Answer Session for Local Residents
Minutes:
There were four questions from Local Residents.
1. Question from Mr Gordon King to the Chairman of the Maidstone Joint Transportation Board:
In the absence of the questioner, the Chairman asked the question on their behalf.
‘Do KCC have any plans to improve the Plains Avenue/ Loose Road junction as when there is heavy congestion on the Loose Road both south bound to Loose and north bound towards Maidstone it is very difficult to safely exit Plains Avenue as you have to cross three lanes of traffic to get into the fourth south bound lane to head towards Maidstone and your view of north bound vehicles aiming to enter Park Way is blocked by stationary south bound traffic.’
The Chairman responded to the question.
2. Question from Mr Simon Moore to the Chairman of the Maidstone Joint Transportation Board:
In the absence of the questioner, the Chairman asked the question on their behalf.
‘It is with a great level of concern, frustration, amusement, anger and inability to comprehend, the ever continuing and growing use of the High Street, King Street and Pudding Lane by cars and motorcycles, when signage clearly states that these are pedestrian zones. I walk into town frequently and have to increasingly avoid vehicles when I cross these roads.
There is no deterrent and no police presence to stop and fine the drivers who continue to repeatedly flaunt the law and pay scant regard to the erected signage at the entrance to each road. I can not remember how long this restriction has been in situ but certainly a very long time.
I have spoken with civil enforcement officers, who have said that they can not do anything within their powers, only stationary vehicles, and that the police only tend to monitor the abuse of this prohibited driving area on a Friday and Saturday evening. Adding, people use it as a cut through / rat run to avoid the traffic lights and one way system.
It is therefore quite basically a farce having the signage and restrictions in place if drivers are going to simply ignore them, in knowing that there is to be no penalty enforced.
How long is it therefore going to take KCC to get round to making a decision to install ANPR cameras and so automatically fine these drivers who abuse these restrictions and enter the pedestrian zones. It has been implemented and put to good use in other Kent towns so why not Maidstone.’
The Chairman responded to the question.
3. Question from Mr Anthony Pearson to the Chairman of the Maidstone Joint Transportation Board:
I would like to know how this has been ascertained because as a resident of Plains Avenue I have noticed a substantial increase in traffic with long queues of vehicles trying to exit Plains Avenue onto Loose Road. I am unaware of any traffic survey being carried out in Plains Avenue since the closure of Cranborne Avenue.’
The Chairman responded to the question.
Mr Anthony Pearson asked the following supplementary question:
‘The yellow box only covers only half of the Loose Road, the half nearest to Plains Avenue, if that half was extended across the whole width of the road that would make things safer, because trying to turn right you have the yellow box to protect you on one half of the road and zero protection from traffic coming from the left over the other half of the road.
The constant flow of traffic during busy periods or most of the day makes it very difficult to access and egress from our driveway and has resulted in getting on stuck on Plains Avenue to try and find a gap in the traffic, reverse into our driveway and suffering abuse from drivers trying to get up Plains Avenue seeing us as the obstruction that we are trying to get up our driveway which has been distressing for my wife on some occasions.
Are there any plans to extend the yellow box across the whole width of the Loose Road to improve the safety of the Loose Road junction?’
The Chairman stated that a written response to the supplementary question would be provided at a later date.
4. Question from Mr Andrew Hammersley to the Chairman of the Maidstone Joint Transportation Board
In the absence of the questioner, the Chairman asked the question on their behalf.
‘I have read the statement that the closure of Cranborne Avenue has resulted in a “small” increase in traffic on Plains Avenue.
‘I would like to know how this has been ascertained because as a resident of Plains Avenue I have noticed a substantial increase in traffic with long queues of vehicles trying to exit Plains Avenue onto Loose Road. I am unaware of any traffic survey being carried out in Plains Avenue since the closure of Cranborne Avenue.’
The Chairman responded to the question.
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