People living in a Colchester street have been surprised to learn their road is being used as a case study to promote a competition to find the country's most dangerous highway.

Michael Blackwell, of Irvine Road area Residents' Association, said today the problems in the road were minor ones and seemed to have improved after Colchester Council was approached last August.

He said he was pleased with the reaction of councillors and the council.

Although Mr Blackwell said he knew Transport 2000 - of which the association is a member - was writing an article about the dangers of people using short cuts through residential streets, he was not aware it would be used to promote a rat run competition.

"I told Transport 2000 when they rang me that we had a very minor problem and we wanted to act to do something about it before it became a big problem.

"The council reacted by looking at the phasing of the traffic lights in the main road and appraising the matter to prevent some of the tail backs and the situation has improved."

Transport 2000 has joined with Sustrans and the Big Issue magazine to highlight the problem caused by motorists using residential roads as high-speed short cuts to get to work or get the children to school.

Rat-Run UK is a competition aimed at finding examples of this, which cause most problems and danger for the local community.

And to illustrate and promote the campaign, they quote Mr Blackwell, who in the conversation with the representative from Transport 2000, said: "You can hear cars turning off the main road and accelerating right the way through. They go fast down our street and then pick up the main road on the other side of the lights."

But Mr Blackwell said: "I told them we had a minor problem.

"To equate us with other areas is ridiculous. We will not be entering the competition."

Published Thursday, April 10, 2003

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