Press Release

2^nd May 2000

Safety Experts Deliver Verdict on A78 at IBM

MSP for Greenock & Inverclyde, Duncan McNeil, has today welcomed a report by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) regarding safety on the A78 at IBM.

The report, for which Mr McNeil and other members of the A78 Working Group had campaigned, follows a series of investigations carried out by RoSPA.

RoSPA undertook site inspections on the 14th and 15th March 2000. These were on sections of the IBM site and along the A78 on between the BP/Safeway petrol station on the A78 near Greenock and Wemyss Bay Railway Station.

The main points of RoSPA’s report are:

• That a full Road Safety Audit is undertaken of IBM’s on-site layout within the next two years (or when alterations are proposed to new sections of the site).

• The report also calls for Road Safety Audits to be undertaken by independent experts on all development alterations to the highway.

• As, for every 1% reduction in speed, a 5% reduction in casualties is achieved, it was recommended that the Working Group approach the Scottish Executive with proposals for a thorough speed management review.

• As regards congestion at the school, RoSPA concluded that while it represented an inconvenience to motorists, it is not evident that this represents a safety hazard. It was suggested that Inverclyde Council could consider introducing a "safe routes to school" initiative to discourage unnecessary parental school runs.

• Another issue for the Working Group members was problems experienced by residents of Inverkip and Wemyss Bay in gaining access at priority junctions onto the A78 at peak hours. The report concludes that, from the information supplied through the Police at the meeting, it was not evident that a safety problem existed. However, if additional funds were made available the layout at these junctions could be enhanced to cater for current traffic flows. These issues, said RoSPA, could be addressed as part of a Route Action Plan following on from draft A78 Route Accident Reduction Plan.

• Also suggested was that the layout of the Cloch junction and junction access arrangements be reviewed as part of the Route Action Plan, following on from the draft A78 Route Accident Reduction Plan if justified.

• That one of two options is investigated to remove the risk of pedestrians being injured on the A78. Both bus stops are relocated to safer positions on the A78 just east of the current IBM vehicular over-bridge.

• That negotiation be undertaken with the local authority, Scottish Executive and bus companies to re-route buses through the IBM site.

In line with the report, IBM are investigating a number of ideas aimed at reducing the number of cars using the site.

Welcoming the report’s publication, Mr McNeil said:

"We campaigned for this study to be carried out. Now that it has, it is our job to make best use of it.

"I look forward to discussing how we can take these proposals forward with IBM and other members of the working group. We all want to improve safety for IBM workers and other pedestrians on this stretch of road. RoSPA have pointed us in the right direction and it is now our responsibility to actually deliver our aims."

ENDS

Background Notes:

The A78 Working Group was formed from community leaders, elected members, IBM staff representatives and the Strathclyde Police with additional support from RoSPA. One of the remits of the Working Group was to investigate the safety concerns of the road users on the A78 near IBM.

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