Residents on a busy Blackburn road say they are ‘prisoners’ in their own homes due to speeding motorists.

They say they have to run the gauntlet to get out of their drives safely and the problem was made worse when road markings on East Park Road, next to Corporation Park, were moved to create much narrower lanes.

Blackburn with Darwen Council said they were aware of concerns on the road and a ‘speed survey’ had been conducted and options were being looked at to make the area safer for pedestrians and residents.

Cllr Mahfooz Hussain, who lives on the road, says he cannot understand why the changes took place and has asked for the lines to be moved back.

He said: “It just does not make sense to move the road markings to a more central position.

“By doing so residents find it very difficult to get out of their homes.

“You have edge out and just hope no car is speeding down the hill. It is also more difficult for the driver who has drive close to the pavement. 

“Nobody feels safe even walking on the footpath as the traffic is so close.

“I have spoken to some people and they feel like prisoners in their own homes. There was no need to change the location of central markings and people were still able to park on the road opposite.”

Cllr Hussain said the situation at the junction with Shear Bank Road and East Park Road was also precarious. He said: “You are dicing with death every time you pull out of the side roads.”

Lancashire Telegraph:

Noorjahan Esa, a resident of East Park Road, and told us her car had been written off twice in a matter of years by speeding motorists. The most recent incident happened in March.

“It is a very dangerous stretch of road already and cars are travelling up and down here like rockets.

“There are no humps, no cameras and no bollards. Car wing mirrors get clipped on a regular basis.”

Cllr Hussain Akhtar said he was being stopped almost daily by residents concerned over the road. He said: “We have had several incidents here already and we really do need some traffic calming measures.

“In particular we need a zebra crossing so people accessing the park can cross safely. This is very important and something I have campaigned for in the past.

“We don’t want to have to make these changes when it is too late after someone ends up getting seriously hurt.”

Lancashire Telegraph:

Nearby on Shear Bank Road (above) resident Ibrahim Master said bollards could lessen the chances of crashes at the junction with Lilford Road.

“This is a regular accident hot spot. All it requires here is a bollard and either side of the road so drivers can see traffic approaching. Also you will find the junction lines have faded so people can’t see they have to stop and simply drive across.”

Blackburn with Darwen Council said the road lines were re-painted in October 2019 and then re-lined.

Councillor Phil Riley, executive member for Growth and Development, said: “I know some residents have voiced their concern over certain issues on East Park Road. 

“These road linings were repainted in October 2019 as the previous lining was faded and we re-lined as part of our planned improvement programme using Department for Transport guidance that recommends placing the centre line central to the carriageway width. 

“However more recently, we have been working with Shear Brow Cllr Zainab Rawat to identify safety concerns around the whole area and we have carried out speed surveys along this corridor and the surrounding roads. 

“We are now looking at the results of these surveys along with options to help make the area safer and to reduce vehicle speeds.”