A driver says he is astonished by people who are crossing the A1 on foot just yards from a footbridge in his village.
Fears were raised recently when the driver witnessed an elderly man walking across the road to get to Ponton Main Service Station. The driver, who has lived in Great Ponton all his life, is concerned there will be a major accident if people continue to ignore the footbridge and cross the road on foot.
The father of two young children said: “I am increasingly frustrated by the older generation not using the footbridge. It’s only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt. They don’t think about the consequences or the other people involved.
“People campaigned for years and years to get this footbridge and then they don’t use it.”
The villager was driving across the A1 from Great Ponton to the service station on the other side of the A1 when he saw the elderly man crossing the carriageway. He spoke to the man who said it was just as quick to walk across the A1 than over the footbridge. “It still took him three or four minutes to cross. It would have been just as quick to go over the bridge. He wasn’t thinking about his actions or the danger he was causing.
“I am the father of two young children. What kind of message does this send out to them? They will think it is safe to do the same. It’s only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt. I just feel enough is enough.”
The driver also said he recently witnessed a motorist driving southbound who parked his car and then walked across the A1 to get to the service station.
Chairman of Great Ponton Parish Council Peter Jackson said he would raise the matter with members. He said: “I have to say that I have seen people walking across the A1 and it is a bone of contention. People went to a lot of trouble to get the bridge built.”
Mr Jackson said he thought it was mostly elderly people who were walking across the road, possibly because they found the steps on the bridge too much to cope with.
He added: “It is very foolhardy. Short of having a sign saying please use the footbridge, I don’t know what we could do. I take the gentleman’s view and it is something that ought to be brought up. I am not aware of any injuries in the past but I agree this is an accident waiting to happen.”
