Grieving parents back our safety campaign (From Surrey Comet)

Grieving parents back our safety campaign

8:20am Friday 16th March 2012 in News By Tom Barnes

The grieving parents of schoolboy Ali Nasralla are backing a Surrey Comet campaign for safety changes in the stretch of road where their son was hit.

We are calling on Transport for London (TfL) to Stop Look and Listen to what residents living near Robin Hood Way have to say, as scores of residents have called for greater safety in Robin Hood Way for three years with little success.

But the death of Ali Nasralla on March 6, one day after he collided with a black cab near his home in Robin Hood Way, alongside Wimbledon Common, has reignited their resolve.

His grieving father, Murtadha, who worked as a cultural adviser to the British and American armed forces during the Iraq war, wants speed bumps and the 30mph speed limit cut to 20mph.

Retired headteacher John Waddleton, who launched a petition for safety in the road in 2009, backed our safety campaign, as did Kingston Cycling Campaign and road safety charity Brake.

Mr Nasralla said: “It is time something is done about this. I lost my only son, but don’t wish to see another child killed.”

Mr Waddleton, 67, has lived in Robin Hood Way for 30 years and said there had been several near misses in the past three years, before last week’s accident.

In a letter sent to him just three weeks ago, TfL said it conducted speed surveys with the police at the site, which showed that the majority of drivers remained under 30mph, but said it would review the situation and decide whether to take further action.

A TfL spokesman said: “TfL recently began investigating whether changes could be made to the road layout along Robin Hood Way to help improve safety, especially pedestrian and cyclists.

“Further work to identify possible options is planned for the next financial year.”

A police spokesman said they could not comment on what speed the cab driver was travelling at when it collided with Ali and a Kingston Council spokesman said he believed the issue was not speed related.

But campaigners said the accident showed how unsafe the road was and urged TfL to carry out an urgent changes in memory of the Robin Hood Primary School pupil.

Richmond and North Kingston MP Zac Goldsmith has lent his support to the campaign.

He said: “This was an appalling incident and I can only imagine the horror this has inflicted on Ali’s family.

“If residents want traffic calming measures put in, I would strongly support them, and hope the council would too.”

Former Kingston Cycling Campaign chairman and current committee member Rob James, 68, of Deacon Road, said: “We would support the campaign. Kingston roads are generally quite safe but the number of cyclists getting killed is unusually high. Reducing the speed would encourage more cyclists.”

Councillor Simon James, who looks after transport infrastructure for Kingston, also leant his support saying: “It is certainly something I would back.”

Ellen Booth, Brake senior campaigns officer, said it was vital the authorities listened to the demands of residents and made communities safer, greener and more enjoyable.

Witnesses to the collision should call the traffic garage witness line on 020 8941 9011.

Click here to sign our epetition urging TfL to Stop, Look and Listen