MORE THAN £268,000 is set to be invested into road safety initiatives across Bridgend County Borough including improvements linked to the 20mph speed limit and sessions designed to teach schoolchildren how they can keep safe in the community when crossing roads or riding bicycles in local streets.
Using regional transport funding provided by Welsh Government, more than £200,000 will be invested in targeting areas where there have been significant instances of non-compliance with the national 20mph speed limit which was introduced in 2023.
Among the road safety improvements which will be introduced are new high-visibility and vehicle-activated signage, ‘roundel’ road signage and jagged ‘dragon’s teeth’ road markings installed at specific locations to encourage drivers to slow down and observe the default speed limit.
The move is intended to reduce the risk of collisions, protect lives, improve cyclist and pedestrian safety, and encourage people to make greater use of active travel for shorter journeys within built-up areas.
More than £68,000 will also be invested in educating children and young people in how to keep safe within the community when crossing or using local roads. These will include the continuation of highly successful Kerbcraft sessions, which have been equipping children aged 5-7 with essential road safety skills since 2002, and the Bikeability scheme which provides national standard cycle training.
The Kerbcraft scheme involves presentations and a series of sessions where a trainer takes children out into the local community in small groups to teach them how to make safe decisions on where and when to cross the road, how to spot potential safety issues, and how to stay safe when not accompanied by a responsible adult.
The funding will also enable a series of Bikeability sessions to take place which will teach children essential skills about staying safe while cycling on local roads and when out in the community unsupervised.
As well as offering practical advice such as how to make sure a bike helmet fits properly or the most efficient way to use brakes and gears, the children will learn to recognise important road signs, how to spot obstacles and dangers, how to navigate busy junctions and more.
Councillor Eugene Caparros, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and the Environment, said: “I am delighted to see that these very worthwhile initiatives have all been successful in their bids to Welsh Government for regional transport funding.
“The road safety improvements linked to the 20mph speed limit are important because since it was introduced, there have been a total of 23 incidents in Bridgend’s valley communities including three where people have been either killed or seriously injured.
“Similarly, by providing cycling and road safety training at a young age, we can ensure that generations of local children are equipped with skills that can be developed and used throughout their lifetime, helping them to make better decisions and giving them the confidence to undertake more active travel journeys in their local communities.”
