Chris Boardman, the walking and cycling commissioner of Greater Manchester, wants to paint zebra crossings on 20,000 side streets in the region at a cost of £300 each. But the Department for Transport (DfT) says he cannot, because under UK law zebra crossings have to be wired to the electric mains and have belisha beacons and zigzag markings, which cost £30,000. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Chris Boardman: ‘I would like to see thousands of zebra crossings in Manchester.’ Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian“These crossings enforce a right that everybody has forgotten about,” Boardman told the Sunday Times. I would like to see thousands of zebra crossings in Manchester.”A trial recently began, commissioned by Transport for Greater Manchester and conducted by the Transport Research Laboratory, which Boardman hopes will prove his zebras are safe. Last year, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) wrote to the DfT to recommend that the “traffic sign regulations and general directions” is updated to authorise the use of side road zebra crossings without the need for beacons or zigzag lines.

Source: The Guardian June 23, 2019 13:07 UTC