WE DEMAND ACTION

Residents, campaigners, road-users and politicians put their weight behind the Daily Echo campaign to stop the carnage on the road, one of the most dangerous in Hampshire.

Spurred on by last month's A36 tragedy, which claimed the lives of two elderly people, they joined forces with the Daily Echo to urge highways bosses to install vital safety measures on the road.

End the feasibility studies, stop the procrastination, hurdle the cross-agency barriers and act now, the campaigners demanded, before more people die.

Bosses from the Highways Agency and Hampshire police were invited to speak at the open meeting, held at Wellow Primary School, as well as parish councillors and Test Valley representatives.

Romsey MP Sandra Gidley, a vocal backer of the Daily Echo campaign, completed the political line-up.

Feelings ran high among the 250-strong audience as they put forward their pleas for road improvements and were told of delays in carrying out crucial safety work.

"We don't have a village. We have a motorway," commented one desperate mum.

"If you're not going to do something about it, the village will come out and we will stop the traffic ourselves."

Others spoke of friends and family who had died on the road, dubbed "Death Valley" by some residents.

Ron Davies, responsible for Highways Agency roads in the south, said that two-direction speed cameras would be installed at Whinwhistle junction before the end of the year.

"We can't just go out there and do what we like on the road," he said. "We need to talk to local authorities and police and it sometimes takes time."

Talk of hold-ups angered residents.

Richard Blundell, a former Wellow parish councillor, said: "There have been studies every year. The parish council has done studies, every agency in government is doing studies. What we want is a solution this village can live with. We cannot live with the carnage."

Landlord at Plaitford's Shoe Inn, Aart Noordijk, added: "Either the A36 issue is being avoided or people are talking the whole time and are not very willing to do anything to reduce the speed limit on this road."

Traffic police also came under fire from campaigners claiming that speed limits were not enforced and the officers rarely seen in the area.

PC Alan Fitch, a road safety officer, said: "The crunch is that we have 17 sites to cover and one of the problems we have is manpower."

Now Highways Agency chiefs and police are under pressure from a mounting drive for change.

Thanks to a 210-signature petition presented to the Daily Echo at last night's meeting by Mr Noordijk, campaign supporters now top 1,000.

Next week Romsey MP Mrs Gidley is meeting with Atkins staff, who carry out technical work on the A36, and highways bosses.

Test Valley councillor John Lewis, who chaired yesterday's meeting, vowed to join the fight for changes.

"If there's any sign of these features still not being in place by the end of the year, I will have failed. I will do my best for you," he said.

County councillor Simon Hayes, chairman of Hampshire Police Authority, also pledged to fight for change.

He said after the meeting: "I am appalled that the situation has got to this degree of seriousness without there being some basic action taken.

"The cost of these things is loose change as far as the Highways Agency are concerned."

"We can try to push the issue of flashing lights," said Mr Hayes. "I know they're effective elsewhere. We will encourage the Highways Agency to make a request for them and the police will look upon it favourably."

Chief Inspector Roy Bayntun, from Whitchurch traffic police, promised to look again at the speed of traffic on the A36.

"We can obviously look at putting the systems down again. That's something I can do for you," he told the angry audience, who said police should have cracked down on speeding drivers years ago.

"We do accept there's a crash problem on this particular road."

What changes are being demanded by the Daily Echo campaign?

Speed cameras.

Better enforcement of the speed limit.

Gateway features into the A36 villages, to slow down traffic.

Review of speed limits.

Continuous double white lines, to ban overtaking.

Filter lanes for traffic turning right.