Cyclist group's pothole fears have come true
A cyclist group has said its fears have come true after a man was catapulted from his bike after hitting a pothole.
Midhurst Area Cycling (MAC) said the Observer's report 'with its dramatic photograph of the disfigured cyclist is exactly what we had feared might happen'.
"Moreover, in avoiding any potholes they do see, cyclists are forced towards the centre of the road into the path of passing traffic."
The group said the picture published by the Observer of Warren Peters, who suffered horrific facial injuries, showed just how 'potentially lethal' potholes were.
"We offer much sympathy to Warren Peters whose face appeared in the paper and hope he has a speedy recovery," the group said in a statement.
At a recent meeting of MAC, spokeswomen Elizabeth Hamilton and Jane Crawford said members had discussed the state of roads in the Midhurst area and said broken surfaces and potholes posed just as much of a danger to cyclists as bad driving.
Midhurst Area Cycling was formed by a group of concerned individuals and ten parish councils in 2003 to lobby for improved facilities for cyclists in and around Midhurst.
It commissioned the Midhurst Area Cycling Strategy from the national sustainable transport charity SUSTRANS.
"Since this report was published in March 2005," said Mrs Hamilton, "virtually nothing has been implemented by West Sussex County Council in our rural area to make improvements for cyclists."
With the help of the South Downs Joint Committee, MAC organises work parties to improve life for cyclists. The next one takes place on July 11 at 7.30pm on Jubilee Path and MAC would welcome helpers.
Its next meeting takes place on Tuesday, June 2 at 7.30pm at The Grange Centre.
Committee chairman's disbelief
Disbelief at pothole repairs being carried out in the town has been expressed by the chairman of Petworth Parish Council's highways committee.
Neville Fox told a full meeting he had been delighted to discover West Sussex County Council highways engineers were mending four potholes which had 'bubbled' up in Mant Road all in the space of around one square foot of each other.
He said: "They were causing a trip hazard on the footpath and the engineers came along and did a very good repair – but only on one of the potholes and they completely ignored the other three."
He said it was unbelievable the county council had 'sent someone out all the way from Chichester to repair one and not the other three'.
The Observer would like to hear from anyone who has a pothole story to tell from the Midhurst and Petworth area.
Have you reported a potential hazard which has not been fixed? Has your car been damaged or have you come a cropper on a motor or pushbike?
What do you think? Click here to send a letter or leave a comment below.
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Weather for Chichester
Thursday 23 February 2012
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