Pilot scheme launching soon to improve pedestrian safety at city centre junction

Portsmouth City Council is launching a six-month pilot of moving traffic enforcement at the junction of Bishop Crispian Way and Anglesea Road.

Drivers are already prohibited from turning left from Bishop Crispian Way into Anglesea Road. The restriction is clearly signposted and is designed to protect people using the push-button crossing at the junction by preventing conflicting and unsafe turning movements.

The busy junction is used by people travelling between the city centre, the University of Portsmouth and the Historic Dockyard, and the pilot aims to improve compliance with the existing restriction, making it safer for pedestrians to cross the road.

The pilot will use camera enforcement to help improve compliance with the restriction. The council is able to introduce the pilot after being granted powers by the government to enforce moving traffic restrictions outside London.

Councillor Peter Candlish, Cabinet Member for Transport, said:

"People should feel safe when crossing the road, particularly at busy junctions.

"This restriction already exists, but not everyone follows it. By improving compliance, we hope to reduce unsafe turning movements and create a safer environment for pedestrians.

"This pilot will help us understand whether enforcement can support those safety aims and improve safety for people moving around the city on foot."

Alongside the enforcement pilot, the council will monitor traffic movements at three other locations across the city:

• St George's Road / Park Road (Gunwharf Quays)
• Park Road / Anglesea Road
• Milton Road / Velder Avenue

The information gathered will help the council better understand driver compliance and traffic movements before any future decisions are made.

At the end of the six-month pilot, compliance data and safety information will be reviewed before decisions are made about any wider use of moving traffic enforcement in Portsmouth.

For more information, visit the council's Moving Traffic Enforcement webpage: https://travel.portsmouth.gov.uk/driving/moving-traffic-enforcement/