A12: Call for urgent work

1:18pm Wednesday 14th May 2008

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A CALL has been made for urgent funding to improve safety on the A12.

North Essex MP Bernard Jenkin challenged the Government on the safety record of the major road which carries in the region of 50,000 vehicles a day.

He asked what plans there were to improve safety on the road.

Figures obtained by Mr Jenkin show there have been 227 serious injuries and 23 fatalities on the A12 since 2003.

Tom Harris, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Transport, said major improvements to safety and capacity were dependent on schemes being prioritised for funding by the East of England from its regional funding allocation or from other sources.

But Mr Jenkin said: "The safety of motorists must be our top priority and it is worrying the major improvements which are so obviously needed have not yet been considered enough of a priority, according to this written answer, to be top of the list for funding.

"That makes it even more important that the number of accidents that have occurred along the A12 be put into the public domain so that motorists will be fully aware of the danger."

An independent inquiry, chaired by Sir David Rowlands, former permanent secretary at the Department of Transport, is being held to look at improving the A12, safety measures and the possibility of widening it to three lanes.

The inquiry, which is due to resume on Monday **may 19**, has heard more than one in four road accidents in Essex takes place on the A12.

Road policing units were called to the road 9,938 times with nearly 6,000 of those call-outs relating to accidents.

Essex County Council leader Lord Hanningfield claims the road has become "intolerable" and was getting worse every year.

He added with the East of England Regional Assembly unable to afford major projects on it, the council was looking at ways of finding money to fund improvements as soon as possible.

The result of the inquiry is due to be announced in July.