Hoxton roundabout in spotlight again after car collision this morning
Users of a �560,000 road junction in Hoxton designed to improve cyclist safety, have warned it could just be a matter of time until someone is killed there, after two cars collided at the intersection this morning.
Firefighters cut open a red Volkswagen to release an injured woman - believed to be in her 30s - after the accident at the junction of Hoxton Street, Whitmore Road, Pitfield Street and Hyde Road.
She was taken to Whitechapel’s Royal London Hospital by ambulance just after 1.30am.
The junction re-opened this April after being converted from a roundabout to a give-way junction.
Vice-chair of the Colville Tenants’ and Residents’ Association (TRA), Michael Jones, who lives in Hyde Road, says he has heard of five accidents there that time, and the issue of its safety was raised at a TRA meeting.
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He would like to see traffic lights installed at the junction.
“Something’s got to be done, or else someone is going to be killed there in the end,” he said.
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“Accidents keep happening there because of the layout – it’s confusing and because they took the roundabout out, the cars are jumping the give-way and shooting across.
“It gets a hell of a lot of traffic during rush hour, the junction isn’t suited to the amount of traffic, it’s like spaghetti junction,” he added.
Pavements have been widened at the junction to make space for benches, and the road is the same height as the pavement.
“Where they raised the pavement they should have put barriers around that, because a pedestrian could easily get hurt,” said Mr Jones.
Hackney Council put up �100,000 towards the cost with the rest of the �560,000 being met by Transport for London.
A council spokeswoman said the design had been through a thorough assessment process, with full consultation and safety auditing.
“It is important not to react on the basis of what could be an isolated incident caused by factors unrelated to the new road layout,” she said.
“The council will be looking into the cause of this accident and will be monitoring the junction over the coming months, both in terms of a further safety audit and traffic flow.”
