Councillor slams Manchester drivers’ ‘bizarre behaviour’ with one route 'like a motorway'

Mancunian motorists’ standard of driving has been slammed as ‘absolutely bizarre’.

Julie Reid, a councillor who represents Gorton and Abbey Hey, also branded Hyde Road ‘like a motorway’ which she would ‘not let my oldest grandson cross’. The road, which links the city centre to the M60, has a 30mph or 40mph speed limit.

And a council highway officer agreed ‘that driving behaviour seems to be very different post-Covid’ but ‘cannot put my finger on why’. The comments come as a new petition calls for another pedestrian crossing to be installed on the thoroughfare, near to its junction with Far Lane.

“Our community is in dire need of this safety measure to protect pedestrians and reduce traffic-related incidents,” petition organiser Luci West said. “By installing a pedestrian crossing at this location, we can significantly decrease the risk of accidents and ensure safer passage for all who traverse this busy road daily. The wellbeing of our community members should always be prioritised above all else.”

The petition was launched on January 4. Five days later, Coun Reid appeared at the council’s economy and regeneration committee to take drivers to task over their behaviour.

“I think driving has got absolutely bizarre. I see people go through red lights on a regular basis,” she said. “Hyde Road is like a motorway. There’s no way I would let my oldest grandson cross that road.”

Coun Reid recognised that the number of injuries on Manchester’s roads were decreasing slightly but added ‘the numbers are still horrendous’. The Labour politician later told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that a new crossing is not the only measure which should be looked at.

She went on: “After Covid, more people have been driving recklessly. The issue comes from the M60 when (drivers) go down to 40mph — that speed limit needs to come down (to 30mph). Hyde Road was widened and it was widened for a reason — there was a small bridge and that created congestion, and it became about the fumes — so it was widened. On a temporary basis we moved the crossing to outside the Waggon and Horses. 

“People have got this idea that they should not walk two minutes more. Yesterday, I saw someone walk out into the road in front of a lorry. I think pedestrian behaviour is worse. There’s a crossing at the bridge, the Plough, and at Tesco’s. We need a speed camera near Debdale Park. It would help but it’s a TfGM issue and if there’s any extra funding to do it, of course we would look at it.”