Level crossing waits under fire

CONCERN over the length of time that level crossing barriers stay down in parts of West Sussex,, and the impact it is having on traffic congestion, will be a major item for the next meeting of the Joint Eastern Arun Area Committee. Two representatives from Network Rail will be attending the meeting to give a presentation on current policies, and safety issues.

West Sussex County Councillor Peter Evans, who is Chairman of JEAAC and also Chairman of the Eastern Arun County Local Committee, says he expects members of the public will also be keen to listen to the barriers discussion.

He said: "There has been a great deal of concern about the length of time that railway barriers stay down, and the queuing and congestion that this is causing. It is also bad news for the environment, because most drivers do not turn off their engines while they are waiting.

"In particular there have been many complaints about the level crossing in East Preston, and members of the committee will be keen to hear from the Network Rail representatives about the operational reasons, and whether anything can be done to minimise the impact."

The meeting is being held on Tuesday, October 10 at 7pm in Rustington Village Hall in Woodlands Avenue.

For full story see WSG October 4