You could not make this up

Should an 8-year old to walk to school over two miles along one of Hampshire's worst roads?

Rotten Hill on the B3400 between Laverstoke and Overton is one of the most feared roads in the area, and indeed was recently reported as having the third worst collision rate in Hampshire and worst in the Basingstoke & Deane Borough. Collisions are many, near misses even more, while vehicles often mount the poorly maintained unlit roadside pavement.
Yet a mother is reported as being expected to allow her 8-year old son to walk over two miles along this dangerous road to reach his Primary School in Overton. She has reported that the County Council have informed her they are removing the previously provided pupil taxi-service, despite her suffering a medical condition that prevents driving herself.

Further danger to come
The road is already treacherous, and will become even more so with the opening of the Bombay Sapphire Distillery and Visitors Centre, which is expected to attract over 100,000 visitors a year, plus hundreds of extra lorry and coach movements.

And that is before taking into account the massive increases in housing planned in both Whitchurch and Overton together with its associated employment and school traffic journeys.

Not fit for purpose
So welcome to the world of HCC's road safety strategies. Requests to improve this road go ignored - yet this road is not fit for purpose. The County takes millions from the government for the Sustainable Transport Fund and supports the building of bus stations like Andover, while at the same time cutting bus services. In whose world do they live?

Why not provide safe routes?
What about making cycling and walking safer? Why not provide a safe segregated walking/cycling route? And in this family's case why not let the child travel in the HCC taxi which is already passing their front door as it travels from Whitchurch to Overton? Did I mention they had so far not allowed that?
Instead they seem to expect the 8-year old to walk immediately adjacent to all the speeding lorries and buses.
The family is of course appealing. Let's hope sense is seen.

Is the emphasis wrong?
It should be asked why are Hampshire's casualty figures for the most vulnerable road users amongst the worst in the country? Perhaps it is because their emphasis on handing out leaflets and hi-viz materials is just a box-ticking sticking plaster which some claim verges on victim-blaming, while their refusal to invest adequately in safe routes or enforce speed limits just beggars belief given the benefits to all.

Appeal, but note the day chosen
Meanwhile the mother frets and awaits their final decision. Five months later another site visit is being made to re-assess the route – and they choose a day when the local Secondary schools are closed so the buses, taxis, parent-run trips between Overton and Whitchurch are much reduced.
You couldn't make that up if you tried.

Young people have died here
As these HCC road safety 'experts' and their Councillors walk over Rotten Hill they should stop gather their thoughts at a roadside memorial – which the 8-year old would  pass each day.
The cross and plaque to an 18-year old young lady who lost her life when in a car that left this road, should be a poignant reminder of their responsibilities to provide safe travel for all.

"the most dangerous stretch of road"
At the time of that tragic loss, several comments were made regarding the safety of this stretch of road, including by one local resident: "I lived in the area for 19 years, and it is in my opinion the most dangerous stretch of road I've come across. Something has to be done."

HCC Councillors please take note, that was five years ago.
More incidents have occurred since and nothing has been done.

Please make a sensible decision for the sake of this family, then look seriously at the dangers on this and other roads that affect us all.

(note that these views are entirely my own)