MP renews call for action to tackle speeding and nuisance drivers

Batley and Spen MP Kim Leadbeater has called for action against speeding and nuisance drivers who show a “flagrant disrespect” for authority.
Batley and Spen MP Kim LeadbeaterBatley and Spen MP Kim Leadbeater
Batley and Spen MP Kim Leadbeater

Ms Leadbeater backed a campaign launched this summer by the action group Reclaim Our Area’s Roads (ROAR) and held a series of meetings.

Complaints about speeding and nuisance drivers then turned into protests about pavement parking in Batley town centre.

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ROAR held regular Saturday protests at speeding hotspots across Batley and Spen where drivers were urged to slow down and show consideration to others.

West Yorkshire Police and Kirklees Council promised to take people’s complaints seriously and Ms Leadbeater said her mailbag had reduced considerably.

However, an increase in complaints over the last two weeks has prompted Ms Leadbeater to write to police and council officials again urging them to take action.

She wrote: “I know that you and your colleagues have worked hard to try and improve things, and I also know that ultimately the responsibility for this wholly inappropriate, disrespectful and downright dangerous behaviour rests with the perpetrators, but I am calling on you - the police, the local authority highways department and traffic enforcement teams - to take further action.

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“Residents and business owners are at the end of their tethers and I am angry on a personal level at the flagrant disrespect some people have for the authorities and their fellow citizens.

“I have experienced a number of near-misses as a result of drivers going at ridiculously dangerous speeds and am sick and tired of dealing with these issues when myself and others are working so hard to develop our town centres and create a sense of pride in our local area.

“Please can I request an urgent update on what action you will be taking in the coming days and weeks to address these issues?”

Writing on Facebook, Nigel Harnell, one of the founders of ROAR, said “the authorities seem to have gone quiet” and he said campaigners may look at more high-profile action such as “blockades on pavements” to highlight the issues.

ROAR was set up following the death of 69-year-old Carol Andrew, who was struck by a car as she crossed White Lee Road in Heckmondwike in July.