I live in Ferry Road and frequently walk into town along the river and over the unmanned level crossing. This brings me out on the pavement by the zebra crossing next to the roundabout on Winchelsea Road. I usually cross this one onto the pavement by the bridge and across the next one on to the pavement by the shops. I return home the same way.
I take care in walking over the one across the Winchelsea Road, when I return from town. Yesterday afternoon (February 28), I stepped on to it and started to walk across, as one car had stopped. As I got to the middle of the road, a vehicle came from my left, without stopping or looking. Had I not been watching carefully, I would have been knocked over.
This particular zebra crossing by the path to the river is not safe. I never step onto it until the car nearest me has stopped, as often drivers either don’t see pedestrians waiting or don’t bother to stop, but luckily this is the first time someone has driven right in front of me when I was half way across.
I think the problem arises because drivers are coming along the Winchelsea road on to the roundabout and so are looking further ahead, not at the road in front of them. Can I ask all local drivers to remember to look? Tourists are not going to be so aware of the problem as locals.
If I really was a zebra, perhaps they would all notice?
[Editor's note: Until February 27 the paint on this crossing was so worn it was hardly visible and there were, so far as we were aware, no immediate plans to renew it. Two weeks ago a near-by resident wrote to our MP about it and she, in turn, wrote to the Highways department of the county council. Within a very short space of time the work was done. There are, of course, county council elections coming up soon........or am I just being too cynical?]
Photo: Gillian Roder
