Crash barriers WON’T be put at a danger junction . . . as the council insists they will do nothing to help save pedestrians.
The news comes after a garden wall was demolished twice within a month.
We’ve already told how residents at the major crossroads outside Paisley’s Barshaw Park are living in terror of the next smash.
Minutes earlier schoolchildren had been standing at the exact spot a car spun past the traffic signal, mounted the pavement and flattened the wall.
And carer Hilda Cameron, whose sandstone wall has now been hit three times, said then: “We need immediate action by Renfrewshire Council before someone is killed.
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“We don’t have time for a lengthy design process . . . safety barriers are needed as an emergency.”
But now a roads boss has ruled out any form of metal barrier or bollards at the junction of Glasgow Road and Hawkhead Road.
Local Conservative Councillor Neill Graham, who has demanded action, said: “I don’t believe this is adequate and from what they have said they are not planning on doing anything.”
However, Mark Higginbotham, the council’s Transportation and Development manager, said there is a proposal to introduce measures to slow traffic down.
It’s the main artery to and from Glasgow and the junction links Hawkhead with Arkleston.
Renfrewshire Council claims barriers would not work properly and bollards could hinder the safety of car drivers who lose control.
Mr Higginbotham said: “Accident records provided by the police show two collisions which resulted in damage to the wall of 130 Glasgow Road, one on Friday, October 22 at 8.58am and another on Saturday, November 20 at 10.30pm.
“Both collisions involved two vehicles. The cause of the collision in October is alleged to be red light running by the driver on Glasgow Road. The cause of the collision in November is not recorded.
“Vehicle safety barrier is designed to give way in a collision so that the occupants of the vehicle are kept safe. Unfortunately, there is insufficient space on the footway to install such a barrier and have it work the way it should.
”In fact the collapse of the masonry wall fulfilled a similar role to a vehicle safety barrier in this instance. A pedestrian guardrail has no strength against a side-on collision from a car and would be inappropriate here.
“An anti-ram-raid bollard would also put the driver in additional danger that we don’t want to impose on an otherwise law-abiding citizen.”
He added: “While I sympathise with the householder, rather than provide a railing which would prove ineffectual, I would rather attack the root cause of the problem.
“The council already has a proposal to alter the junction to make it safer for all road users and in doing so, reduce the speed of approaching vehicles.”
Councillors will get to consult on the new plan next year and Renfrewshire Council has asked police about installing a traffic cam to catch red light jumpers.
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