'They just speed and don’t care': Police fine 'lazy' drivers flouting car bar as parents issue stark warning
People working on a Merseyside high street which has seen car owners hit by police fines have criticised “lazy” drivers using it as a shortcut. Many parents told the LDRS they feared for their children’s safety as people ‘just speed and don’t care’.
In January, Merseyside Police took enforcement action fining a number of people driving down and parking on a pedestrianised area of Bebington Road in New Ferry, including a number of businesses owners and a taxi driver. The action was taken following complaints around dangerous driving in the area.
However some traders who were also targeted in the crackdown have criticised the authorities, arguing the loss of a car park left them with no choice but to park in the area. The restrictions on the one-way street only allow loading and unloading by local businesses after 4.30pm and before 10.30am.
Merseyside Police said the road has been pedestrianised since 1986 with a large sign visible to those driving on the road. The outcry from business owners prompted a February 4 meeting between Wirral Council and traders to try to find solutions to any issues they are having
But many people have praised the actions of police.
One woman, Julie, said: “It puts me off the shops. If the businesses are not concerned about pedestrians, it doesn’t show good customer service. They are just bothered about where they can park rather than the customers walking down the street.”
The LDRS visited the high street in early February to find a number of cars still driving down and parking on the street, despite the recent police enforcement. Multiple times, people had to move out of the way for cars that were not supposed to be there.
Feramuz Karabulut, the owner of Kesh’s Cafe, said: “I am happy they have stopped people driving past. Some come down very fast. I am seeing people angry but at the end of the day, safety first, children first, families first.
“I have been here 20 years and a sign was always there. Some people think it’s a shortcut, some people are just lazy.”
Defending Cllr Jo Bird who has been criticised over the parking row, he said: “Jo did the right things. She listens to the public. There were lots of complaints, otherwise she wouldn’t have taken any action.
“I have got kids. At the end of the day, I want my kids to be safe in this area or any other.”
While he agrees with the action taken, he does think there needs to be a permit for businesses especially when some of his neighbours do not have access around the back of their shops.
Mums on the school run appeared to feel similarly. While some said they understood there has been lost parking space in the town, others said there was still plenty left.
Jessica Smith said: “I find cars blazing up and down here. Most of the time they don’t even pull up. They are trying to get through quicker. I think they are doing the right thing by fining them.”
Sharon Leyland said: “They just speed and don’t care. I had one car come down the wrong way. It’s not a road, it’s a pavement.”
Others said they had to move out of the way all the time for cars and one person did not realise cars are not allowed to drive in the area. Alannah Nightingale said: “It’s only a matter of time that somebody is going to get knocked over.
“I have been happy with the police response in this area for a long time. They kept an eye on the antisocial behaviour and we have been very supported since the explosion. This development is brilliant but I do think it’s quite dangerous and could be a real potential hazard.
“It does make me worry. I was only crossing on Sunday morning and I nearly got knocked over. Obviously the driver thought it was my fault because they consider this a road.”
Cllr Paula Basnett, the council’s leader, told the LDRS the feedback from officers at the meeting was positive, adding: “I understand traders’ frustrations but equally we have to keep our shoppers and residents safe because that is a pedestrianised area.”
She said New Ferry needed support and the council would work with businesses looking at how they operate, adding: “I do understand the frustration. Small business, it’s very challenging times for them so we want to be supporting them.
“How are we going to support them? Officers are going to be looking at ways in order to do that that also keeps our residents safe.”
With the council planning to improve the high street in the future, she said: “We need to be supporting the traders and we need to look at the public realm and how we are going to manage that.
“Obviously replacing the public realm around that area is going to be difficult for traders so one thing we need to be mindful of is how are we going to support them and minimise the disruption to the public realm? That’s the priority and ultimately we want to have more traders in that area so it becomes vibrant once again like it was several years ago.”
Tony Norbury, a campaigner for Wirral’s Green Party, also believes things are looking more positive. He said: “There definitely needs to be more action. The precinct is a pedestrianised area.
“We shouldn’t have speeding traffic going up and down there. It’s dangerous to shoppers and to traders themselves. It needs to be a safe space.”
He wants to see the council work with traders, adding: “They need to be included in the regeneration of their place. We need to make it a safe place to get more customers up there. We need more customers and to do that it needs to be a safe place for shoppers, traders, and the community.”