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Traffic in Faversham is “more dangerous than London” and something “must be done”.
Those are the views of Faversham Action for Calmer Traffic (FACT) campaign founder Amanda Russell who says that two accidents in four days last week, both prompting a response from the air ambulance, is “crazy and very upsetting”.
The campaign for a 20mph speed limit in Faversham town centre has gained momentum after a 13-year-old was left with life-changing injuries when he was knocked off his scooter in Athelstan Road.
Just days later, a woman was taken to hospital with abdominal injuries after yet another collision.
Amanda moved from London to Ospringe Road in October 2013 and she says there is less provision for pedestrians and cyclists in Faversham, and the town is crying out for safer and more crossings.
The campaign follows the national 20’s Plenty movement, which has brought in the speed limit into a number of boroughs in London and counties across the country.
Amanda said: “I started this campaign because I started to be very aware of how little infrastructure there is for people getting across town.
“Elderly people and people with children are just some of those who struggle. I was incredibly surprised at the speed of traffic travelling through the town, shocked at the lack of crossings and even more surprised by the council’s very minimal response to serious accidents.”
In January, 77-year-old Doreen Taylor launched a petition to upgrade a crossing in Forbes Road after her husband was knocked down and killed there in 2014.
Despite more than 1,200 signatures, Kent County Council refused.
In 2013, John Hobson was knocked down and killed by a motorcyclist on the crossing in Whitstable Road and it took months of campaigning to upgrade it to a crossing with LED lights.
Amanda continued: “It is very early days of this campaign but we really want to find a solution. There are a lot of people now who have the same concerns in Faversham and this is a way to make a record of any accidents or near-misses in the town.
“We can start measuring how bad this situation is. People are concerned and they’re angry. It would be a relatively cheap idea to implement so the council must know it makes sense.”
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