HL Deb 11 July 1980 vol 411 cc1440-2

11.14 a.m.

Lord MONSON

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how they intend to respond to the plea by Help the Aged for "effective official action" to reduce the deaths and injuries caused to elderly people using "Pelican" pedestrian-controlled street crossings.

Viscount LONG

My Lords, Her Majesty's Government do not agree with the conclusions and recommendations of the report published by Help the Aged. While they are much concerned about injuries to pedestrians, those which occur at Pelicans must be seen in the context of the thousands of millions of safe crossings made at Pelicans every year. Her Majesty's Government do not discount the possibility of improving the Pelican crossing and have indeed authorised, before receiving this report, experiments to test whether some minor changes in the timing and phasing of the signals would be beneficial. These experiments will take place at 40 Pelican sites in Greater London. But I must emphasise that Pelican crossings are already a valuable aid to pedestrians wishing to cross busy roads and the elderly should certainly not be discouraged from using them.

Lord MONSON

My Lords, I thank the noble Viscount for his reply, the last half of which I found most encouraging. Is he aware that it is not only the elderly who find the time allowed for crossing too short, but many young and reasonably fit people do as well? More seriously, is he aware that far too many motorists treat these crossings with utter contempt, revving up their engines and forcing their way through crowds of pedestrians still on the crossing when the lights are at yellow, and even driving through when the lights are red, as I have personally witnessed on many occasions? Would he not agree that a few well-publicised prosecutions followed by convictions and the imposition of substantial fines are necessary in order to bring it home to motorists that they must not behave in this selfish and reckless manner?

Viscount LONG

My Lords, I quite agree that we are all in danger at times—not only the elderly but the young as well and especially children. I wonder that there have not been more casualties among children dashing across these Pelicans. As regards prosecutions, the licence endorse-ment is still a strong deterrent, although the fine of up to £100 may not now be as effective as it was when introduced in 1974. One hopes that as a result of this Question motorists will stop these bullying tactics as they approach the lights. The Pelican is a very fine species of animal. It blinks from one eye a green man and from the other eye a red man. I hope that motorists will take more notice of these lights and steady up as they approach them so that the elderly, and people of my age, who find it very difficult to get across the road can do so safely.

Lord STRABOLGI

My Lords, is not one of the troubles that the amount of time allowed for the pedestrian to cross is much too short? Will the Government consider recommending that there should be a longer time span to cross the road? Would they not agree that at least a few more seconds would not really inconvenience motorists very much?

Viscount LONG

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for his question. As I said in my original Answer, 40 Pelican sites in Greater London are being investigated and there are further experiments on the timing, among other things, for pedestrians to cross, so that might well cover the matter which the noble Lord has raised.