Pressure is mounting on Fife Council to build a full pedestrian crossing on a “hazardous” road in Dalgety Bay where an elderly woman lost her life.
An online petition created by Gail Milne, who resides in Meadowfield, where the crossing meets Moray Way North, was only set up on May 26 and already has been signed by over 200 concerned residents.
The petition, addressed to Fife Council’s head of transportation and environmental services, Dr Bob MacLellan, states: “The Meadowfield/Moray Way North crossing has been a long-standing hazard.
“Elderly residents and children have difficulty crossing due to the corner situation of the roundabout and speed of traffic which comes upon the bus stop too quickly.”
Dalgety Bay pensioner Mary McNeill, 76, died after being struck by a Fife Council van near the crossing this month. Ms Milne stressed, however, that safety concerns about the area had been raised in the town long before the accident.
“There has always been concern over this crossing,” she said. “Just three weeks before the accident involving Ms McNeill, I spoke to my children and their friends about getting a petition organised.”
Ms Milne said she was worried pedestrian traffic would increase in the future as a result of people accessing the Dalgety Bay Rail Halt, retail industrial estates and because of people using buses in the town, the sports centre, Dobbies and Asda.
“If Aldi is given the go-ahead to open in Dalgety Bay as part of the redevelopment of Hillend/Donibristle Industrial Estates, there may be even more pedestrians walking across the Meadowfield strip,” she added.
“It’s a busy corner and there needs to be a proper pedestrian crossing with lights built.
“We have to make sure there’s not another tragic incident, which could easily be avoided with a better traffic management system being put in place for the safety of pedestrians.”
Dalgety Bay resident Leanne Boyne, who signed the petition, said a full pedestrian crossing was “an absolute must.”
“Recent events have shocked the community and this road has been a concern for many years,” she added.
Another local woman, Tracy Goss added: “We used to live in Meadowfield and it was one of the reasons why we moved from there, because I was really scared taking my children across the road to school.
“We’ve had many near accidents and it’s a blind spot. How many other people have to lose their lives?”
Fife Council’s head of leisure and cultural services, Grant Ward, said he was unable to comment on whether a pedestrian crossing was a future possibility. “Last week’s tragic accident is still being investigated by Police Scotland and we await the outcome of that investigation,’’ he said.
The petition can be viewed at www.change.org.