Eaton Bray mum and daughter call for pavement extension to make 'dangerous' junction safer

Jodie Clifford, 39, and her daughter, Ivy, nine, would like to see the pavement from Totternhoe Road extended round into The Rye, meaning people could cross down The Rye, rather than at its busy junction – which has traffic coming from five different directions.

The family claim that crossing to the Totternhoe Road bus stop from Dyers Road is especially risky, as it features a blind corner – one which cars can zoom around very fast – and that they have witnessed a near miss involving a car and a horse rider.

Central Bedfordshire Councillor, John Baker, says that the safety of all road users is "a priority" – and that he is "sorry" to hear that Jodie has had a poor experience when contacting the council.

Jodie claimed: "I've been repeatedly reporting the unsafe crossing, but council employees have now hung up on me three times out of four. There's no dispute; they just look into the report and then hang up. It's so infuriating.

"I would usually have given up but my daughter has single sided deafness, making crossing that road even more dangerous for her."

Ivy, who needs to cross to the road to go to school, would love to be able to travel independently one day and feel safe.

However, at the moment her parents walk with her to help, as she can't hear oncoming traffic round the blind bend.

"It can be so dangerous,” added Jodie. "Drivers won't necessarily expect someone to be crossing."

Ivy told the LBO: "Thank you for trying to help me make this road safer. But not only for me, also for anyone elderly or who also has hearing problems."

Central Bedfordshire Councillor, John Baker, executive member for Finance and Highways, said: “The safety of all road users – whether walking, cycling, or driving – is a priority for the council.

"People have a responsibility when travelling on the road to do so in a safe manner, respecting other road users. We are sorry to hear about this resident’s experience in contacting the council.”

The LBO asked the council whether it was looking into the pavement extension, but was told that it was unable to confirm this.