A34 closure due to a coach fire & crashes led to traffic chaos in West Ilsley. Residents seek HGV restrictions.
A coach fire and two crashes shut the A34. Councillor Carolyne Culver wants action. She wants the council to restrict HGVs during A34 closures. She thinks village roads are too small for HGVs.
Culver already raised this issue with traffic officers. She fears her request will be ignored again. She said it damaged roads and pavements, endangering pedestrians. The village looked like a busy highway.
Culver wants HGVs to stop using West Ilsley as a shortcut after A34 accidents. She described a chaotic scene during the closure. A resident directed a Royal Mail truck, and a lorry nearly hit a parish councillor.
The council needs police to enforce a weight limit. Police want the council to create a plan first. Culver asks if someone must die for action. Traffic officers told her Bury Lane is wide enough and the road risk is minimal currently.
They believe an HGV restriction is not justified now. Culver suggests a different solution for National Highways: close the A34 from Junction 13 and divert lorries along the M4.