By Joel Wood.
New rules have been introduced by the City Council to stop cars parking outside Leicester Railway Station after the death of cyclist, Sam Boulton.
The teacher, who was killed on his 26th birthday, was hit by a moving van after he attempted to swerve out of the way of a stationary open taxi door in July this year.
To combat this happening again and to address safety concerns the council have extended the existing bus stop clearways outside the station to cover a longer stretch of London Road.
Leicestershire City Council reported Councillor Adam Clarke, saying: “By making these improvements to the area in front of the railway station we can help regulate traffic activity, reduce the risk of car doors being opened into moving traffic and provide more certainty to other road users passing the railway station.
“This is a measure that we thankfully can implement now, but our ambitions to transform London Road with a safer route for cyclists and pedestrians, from Victoria Park to the city centre, are still very much a priority.”
Before these changes, drivers were allowed to stop on double-yellow lines to pick up and drop off passengers.
Now the rules will ban all vehicles, except for buses and hackney cabs, from stopping outside the railway station.
Lisa Marriot, 48, said: “I am happy that the council have finally made changes to this area of the station as I felt there needed to be for quite some time.
“I use the railway frequently and think that the front of the station is extremely dangerous with cars, taxis, buses, cyclists and pedestrians all congregating in such a small area, especially during the rush hour periods.
“By putting these rules in place, I hope that there will no longer be so much congestion outside the station resulting in it being much safer for everyone using the service and driving past the station.”
Civil enforcement officers will monitor the extended clearway but the option of camera enforcement is being explored by the council.
Under the Traffic Management Act 2004 if any unauthorised vehicles are found parked within the designated area the driver could face a fine of up to £70.
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