Junction sparks petition handover

Parents and schoolchildren will hand over a petition to council chiefs

Campaigners who have been calling for a crossing to be installed at a busy Reading junction are to hand over a petition to council safety chiefs.

Residents who fear a child could soon be hurt at the Oakley Road junction in Caversham held a protest there with Reading East MP Rob Wilson on 1 July.

It came after two vehicles collided a day earlier. Traffic calming measures have been introduced, the council said.

Families will hand over the petition at the town's civic centre on Tuesday.

'Huge public support'

Rebecca Ranson, who lives nearby, said: "The recent road traffic accident at the junction [has] highlighted just how dangerous this crossing - which is used daily by parents and children on their way to and from school - is."

Residents fear it is only a matter of time before somebody is hurt

The petition will be presented to Councillor Tony Page, deputy leader of the council and lead for transport.

Councillor Isobel Ballsdon said: "There is huge public support for increased safety at this junction."

Earlier, in a statement, Reading Borough Council said: "A safety scheme was introduced in this area in 2000.

"The junction lining was refreshed as recently as January 2009."

It added that the four recorded personal injury accidents at the junction did not "involve pedestrians".