Anna Sabine MP welcomes moves to make Frome Bypass safer
Anna Sabine MP welcomes moves to make Frome Bypass safer
Following the announcement today from Somerset Council around possible works on the A361 Frome Bypass, Frome and East Somerset MP, Anna Sabine has said she welcomes proposed changes to make the road safer.
The section of road on the A361 is a collision hotspot, with six fatalities in the last five years and Anna has repeatedly called for improvements to be made on the road. Last year she raised the issue with Somerset Council and Avon and Somerset Police who agreed to temporary measures such as improved signage and the cutting back of vegetation for improved sight lines, whilst they assessed the need and possibility of further permanent changes.
Somerset Council today announced that temporary AI cameras that had been installed along the junction have picked up more than 4500 offences between March and July of this year including speeding, mobile phone use and no seat being worn.
These instances of driver behaviour have helped to bolster the argument for significant changes and the Council, with Avon and Somerset Police have said they are not considering the speed limit be reduced to 50mph, rather than the current 60mph.
“I am relived and encouraged to hear that a change to the speed limit is now being taken into consideration. This is an incredibly dangerous stretch of road, which has had far too many collisions and near misses to be considered an acceptable roadway for the public.” Anna Sabine MP said of the news.
“When I first campaigned on this having just come into office last year, drastic changes like this seemed a long way off, so I am so pleased to see that the AI camera initiative will potentially lead to real changes being made so we can all feel safer driving.”
Somerset Council and Avon and Somerset Police have said they are currently conducting a feasibility study into further safety measures on the junction, and Anna Sabine MP will continue to champion the need for significant changes moving forward.