In just two days, more than 1,200 people have signed a petition to close down the “hazardous” pedestrian level crossing where schoolboy Jaiden Shehata was killed last month.
‘Avoidable hazard’: the Bourne View level crossing, which locals claim is a danger to the public
The Riddlesdown Collegiate Year 7 pupil died after being hit by a train in “a tragic accident” near Kenley railway station, when he was on his way to school on January 23.
The petition calls for the Bourne View level crossing in Kenley to be closed. “This dear child was not the only casualty that this crossing has claimed,” the petitioners state. “Multiple lives have been lost due to its potential dangers.” It is not known what evidence there is to support such a claim.
The petition says: “This hazardous crossing is directly responsible for the heart-rending grief and the unnecessary loss of precious lives.
“The anguish of losing a child is something no parent should ever have to experience, especially due to an avoidable hazard like this. The fatal incident involving the young boy should serve as a call to action for us all to prevent any more families from experiencing this pain.”
The residential road Bourne View links the A22 south of Kenley Station with Valley Road on the other side of the railway tracks. The pedestrian crossing is a piece of public infrastructure, unstaffed, where people can cross the Caterham to London Bridge line. There is a sign at the crossing that says “Beware of trains”.
Some locals have suggested that sightlines from the crossing are less than ideal.
The petition states that there have been “multiple pleas” by locals to have the level crossing closed. The petitioners ask for the level crossing to be replaced by a bridge or underpass.
“Indifferent to the lurking danger, hundreds of school children, commuters, and locals use this crossing each day, gambling with their safety until it’s too late. For the sake of public interest, the dangerous crossing needs to be permanently closed and replaced with a safer alternative,” the petition says.
“Close the crossing, save lives.”
To view the petition, click here.
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No mention of the distractions of mobile technology.
I encounter people crossing roads without even looking in the direction of traffic regularly now. One common factor I’ve noticed is that they are either wearing headphones or bluetooth earbuds. Everything is a hazard when you are unaware of your surroundings.
It was a tragedy but ‘multiple lives lost’? I’ve lived here for milennia and never heard of any deaths.
I think they still have a good case. Unfortunately, it takes deaths to change infrastructure.
They could at least give it a red light when a train is coming.
The petitioners should wait for the inquest before jumping to conclusions about cause and remedy
I agree with Arfur Towcrate, wait for the report. Too many people wander across roads without looking because they are distracted by their headphones.
I agree with Arfur and James – sadly the infection of social media and wall-to-wall news skews everything and makes everything appear in need of instant ‘solutions’. No one is, yet, blaming the railways, the governmment et. al but they will.
I can’t believe that type of crossing is still in operation. Very dangerous to have an open train line with no barrier where people can walk across unimpeded. What has happened is so very sad.
Why no warning lights? When there was a walkway, now gone, at Riddlesdown it had warning lights.
Are there any statistics/ records available for incidents at this crossing. If this is the first fatality at this crossing one has to come to the conclusion that everyone else over more than a century have been able to negotiate it without mishap. Though in the age of so many people being plugged in to earphones it might be an idea to have a loud warning signal/ flashing red light installed as already suggested.
Agree completely. My deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Jaiden. A tragedy which was so easily avoided, which makes it so much worse. I think maybe if your school is over a level crossing it behoves that school and the parents of pupils attending to educate about how they work and, as comments above, to instil the mantra to remove headphones, pay attention, look and listen. Level crossings are not inherently dangerous, the unawareness of what they are and how they work is.