Petition signed to ‘Sort out death trap junction’ at Fiveways, Eltham

BY CALUM FRASER
calum@slpmedia.co.uk

Drivers are calling on transport bosses to make urgent changes to a “death trap” junction.

Almost 1,500 people have signed a petition calling on Transport for London (TfL) to make changes to the junction at Sidcup Road with Southwood Road and Green Lane (Fiveways).

Scores of people have described the junction as “lethal” and “dangerous” and say they have witnessed several accidents there over the past decade.

On October 9, a 41-year-old man was seriously injured in a collision in Sidcup Road, Eltham. He was taken to King’s College Hospital in Camberwell and died 10 days later.

Carole Axford, 57, who started the petition, said: “The junction is a death trap and something needs to be done about it for the sake of ourselves and our children.

“The traffic going towards London now forms three lanes if turning right, therefore blocking the flow of traffic trying to go straight ahead.

If they don’t form three lanes they form two and the speed of traffic going straight on almost collides into the rear of the stationery traffic.

“Turning right from London at the junction is very dangerous.

There is no way of knowing if the lights have turned red, so you have to sit and wait until the traffic has stopped and then the traffic from Southwood Road drives ahead before you get a chance to turn right, sometimes leaving you in the middle of the junction with nowhere to go.”

The Greenwich resident is calling on TfL to install a filter light turning right into Green Lane and Southwood Road, install traffic lights at the junction from London in order that drivers can see the lights have turned red, or provide more cameras to monitor dangerous drivers.

Sam Monck, TfL’s head of network sponsorship, said: “Safety is our top priority and we constantly monitor all of our roads and junctions, including the A20 Sidcup Road.

“All safety concerns are taken seriously and we are keen to work with residents where these are raised.

We have already made improvements to this junction by lengthening the right hand lane to make it easier for road users to turn right.

Our assessment of this junction has shown that a right turn filter or other changes to traffic lights would be unlikely to prevent road users from using the incorrect lane.

We will monitor the junction and will be looking at other measures to encourage road users to use the lanes correctly at this location.”

To find the petition go to change.org and search Fiveways junction.