Lib Dems get 20mph speed limit for four schools in the Borough of Reigate & Banstead.

5.00.00am GMT Wed 19th Jan 2005

Reigate St Mary's School children campaigning for a 20mph speed limit with Lib Dem Cllr. Steve Kulka.

After years of persistent campaigning it was recently announced in a Surrey County Council Highways Report that four schools in the Borough of Reigate and Banstead are to have 20mph safety restrictions placed on roads adjacent to the schools.

Surrey County Council Highways officers have completed the first part of an extensive evaluation, considering current road speeds and accident data and have chosen the first four schools which in their opinion are most likely to benefit. These are Meath Green Junior School in Horley, Reigate St Mary's, Kingswood Primary and St. Anne's Catholic Primary in Banstead. Supporting financial budgets is intended up to 2009.

Jane Kulka, Reigate Liberal Democrats Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, commenting on the news said, "I am really pleased to learn that the Council is finally going to implement this long awaited safety measure for Reigate St Mary's School in Chart Lane. The staff go to extraordinary lengths to keep the children safe from the traffic passing the school".

The Countryside Agency says that 20mph is the speed at which 95% of pedestrians will survive a collision with a car, and when enforced with traffic calming can reduce all casualties by 60% and child casualties by 70%.

Surrey County Council needs to be persuaded of the merits of appropriate traffic measures for all schools. Reigate Liberal Democrats will continue pressing the Council until we have safety zones on the roads around all schools in the Borough of Reigate and Banstead.