Ayr Road and Fenwick Road are two of the busiest roads in East Renfrewshire and have a variety of road users including drivers and cyclists.  Emergency measures during lockdown saw orange plastic cones appear which acted as a temporary extension to the pavement for people out walking.

These cones have now been replaced and extended with black and white/orange plastic bollards which act as segregation for cycle lanes.

Cyclists, road users and residents within East Renfrewshire have all expressed concerns via the Action Against East Renfrewshire Bollards Facebook Group.

These bollards are not fit for purpose and there are many serious road safety concerns and other issues as follows:

·       Delivery drivers, essential visitors (such as care workers) and emergency vehicles are unable to stop safely on the road. This leads to additional parking/traffic on side streets or parking between the bollards and Ayr Road which is unsafe for cyclists and pedestrians.
 
·       Blocked access to driveways by delivery drivers and other vehicles and instances of cars parking completely on the pavement, causing obstruction to pedestrians and wheelchair users.
 
·       Ongoing disruption to the flow of traffic leading to increased congestion, emissions and air pollution.
 
·       Road safety concerns over parking on the central reservation by delivery vans and other large vehicles which is unsafe and obstructs the view of the road by other drivers.
 
·       The existing cycle lane has been narrowed by segregation and cyclists are unable to ride side by side or overtake each other without going between bollards into the flow of traffic. This has discouraged families and children from using the cycle lane and is an immediate concern to cyclists using the road on a regular basis.
 
·       Cyclists have safety concerns about bent/fallen bollards or other debris obstructing the cycle lane.

·       Drivers have safety concerns about bent/fallen bollards which are regularly blown onto the carriageway causing serious road safety concerns.
 
·       Cyclists are concerned about fallen leaves, blocked drains, snow, slush and other debris in cycle lane and whether the council will be able to provide adequate maintenance by clearing or gritting.
 
·       Large tailbacks and additional congestion caused on bin collection day by the bin lorry which obstructs Ayr Road during peak time traffic and safety concerns with cars passing on the wrong side of the road.
 
·       Drivers are unable to see cyclists when turning right to travel up Ayr Road and the height of the bollards blocks cycle lights therefore endangering cyclists.
 
·       Drivers have reported an increase in congestion at junctions and obstructed views and added congestion from side streets.
 
·       Road safety concerns about ambulances and other emergency vehicles being able to pass through traffic in an emergency.
 
·       Road safety concerns from both cyclists and drivers about wet/icy conditions and limited space to avoid collisions.
 
·       Limited stopping spaces for buses and no stopping places for parents doing drop off for school buses.
 
·       No safe stopping places for car users in emergency situations such as flat tyres, sick children, choking, heart attack, blurred vision etc.  Continuous driving may also encourage use of mobile phones for texting and unsafe use of satnav.
 
·       Safety concerns about strobing effects/reflection of light on bollards affecting vision especially at night for both cyclists and road users.
 
·       Residents and visitors are experiencing difficulty accessing driveways and there are concerns about road safety as well as added road congestion.
 
·       Residents are concerned about the unsightly appearance of bollards and local estate agents have confirmed this is detrimental to house prices on Ayr Road and surrounding areas.
 
·       Ongoing costs to the council to maintain the scheme including daily picking up of knocked over bollards. This is currently done by a vehicle travelling up and down the road with multiple workers.
 
·       There is growing unrest within the community between cyclists and other road users who are unable to share spaces due to hard segregation. There have been a number of ‘road rage’ incidents between cyclists and drivers and reported incidents of drivers shouting abuse at council bin lorry staff.
 
While we appreciate that East Renfrewshire Council is trying to support and encourage cycling, there seems to no benefit from the installation of the bollards which are in place.

There have been a number of public complaints and issues reported directly to East Renfrewshire Council which have not been recognised or rectified.
 
Consultation appears to have been limited to the Commonplace website and residents have reported no prior notice of the erection of bollards. The online document also has dozens of negative views/comments which appear to have been ignored.

The maintenance costs which were recently obtained via a Freedom of Information request are extremely high and are unjustified given the ongoing pressure to cut Council budgets.  
 
This petition asks that East Renfrewshire Council urgently remove all bollards from Ayr Road and Fenwick Road. We ask that safer options are considered such as coloured cycle lanes and cat's eyes added to white lines which will improve road safety, increase traffic flow and allow all road users to travel safely and harmoniously.

We note that the current bollards are temporary measures and we strongly object to any permanent installation or any additional bollards being installed throughout East Renfrewshire.