A NEW pedestrian crossing in Chipping Sodbury has left residents seeing red after the junction it is on was extended into the High Street.

The controlled zebra crossing, at the junction of Wickwar Road, was installed in March following a safety campaign but it prompted a string of complaints to Thornbury and Yate MP Luke Hall because drivers were forced to stop on the crossing before turning out onto High Street and on the main road as they waited to turn into Wickwar Road.

Last week, South Gloucestershire Council moved the junction give way lines further out into the High Street leaving the crossing free but putting vehicles in the line of traffic up and down the town’s main thoroughfare.

The new extension has led to a wave of criticism on social media.

Neil Randall wrote on Facebook: “And the solution looks like extending the junction, how ridiculous.

“Talk about 'glossing' over the original problem. Guess we're waiting for someone to get run over before putting it right.”

Trevor Cook also said on Facebook: “Painting a few lines at the end of Wickwar Road to make it 6feet longer doesn't make the crossing any safer. It's just a huge mess.”

On Twitter, Paul Hajek called the road markings ‘institutionalised graffiti’ and Michael Garett said his grandson ‘could have done better with his Minecraft building app’.

Amanda May, who works in Yate and drives via the junction most days, said it was an accident waiting to happen.

“It is crazy,” she told the Gazette. “I just couldn’t believe it when I saw it.

“Someone will get run over or a car will get bumped.

“I understand it is a busy junction and people need to cross but either it needs to be moved further down the road and do away with the other crossing down Wickwar Road or think of something else.”

But safety campaign Bob Keen said he was ‘very pleased’ to have the crossing despite the fact his late wife Valerie, who suffered two broken feet after an accident at the junction two years ago, will never see the benefit having died aged 76 two weeks ago.

“She had tyre marks on her shoes and was bedridden for weeks afterwards,” said Mr Keen, who helped establish the Keep Sodbury Safer group. “I don’t think she was ever right again since but I like to think her accident put some life into the whole thing and got the crossing going.

“Pedestrians are going to be safer and it is going to save lives. I just consider it deeply ironic Valerie will never use it.”

John Mainstone, who campaigned for the crossing at the junction for many years, said: “It is definitely a safer route for pedestrians.

“People can cross confidently now whereas before you had to take your life in your hands.”

Beat manager for Chipping Sodbury, PC Dan Jones, said the police had received 'lots' of questions. He said officers could not have enforced drivers stopping on the crossing as it was but believed South Gloucestershire Council had yet to finish works.

But a council spokesman said whilst the white road marking lines were recently amended as they were ‘originally painted incorrectly’, the only further work to be carried out was some road surfacing works near the crossing.

In correspondence sent to Mr Hall, head of street care Mark King said he had observed the crossing and ‘saw no particular safety issue’.

“I would suggest that we leave the site as it is and wait for users to get used to the new layout,” added Mr King. “In addition we have yet to undertake a stage three safety audit on the site and this will highlight any short comings and which we will address.”

Mr Hall said: “I hope that the audit will lead to a resolution, and if needed, amendment to the crossing.”