Replacement of bollards in Pontefract town centre after parents with prams forced to dodge cars and vans

Wakefield Council has confirmed the town will be the first to benefit from new barriers to prevent vehicles from entering pedestrianised areas.

Complaints were made to the local authority in June last year that bollards on Beastfair and Market Place had stopped working.

The town centre is supposed to be closed to vehicles, except for permit holders, between 10am and 4pm every day.

But bollards stopping the area from being used as a thoroughfare were permanently down due to a fault.

At the time, the town’s MP Yvette Cooper said she had been contacted by residents who claimed vehicles being driven through the area on a regular basis were creating a hazard.

She said: “Some cars are going down there by accident because they don’t see the signs and the bollards are down.

“Lots of drivers know the rules but are ignoring them.

“We’ve got parents with small children or prams having to dodge to avoid cars and vans.

“That’s why I’m urging the council to act as quickly as possible.”

The council said the new bollards would be part of a district-wide programme of work to improve safety in pedestrianised areas.

Matthew Morley, the council’s cabinet member for planning and highways, said: “We want everyone using pedestrianised areas in our city and town centres to feel safe.

“Having new, reliable electronic bollards is an important part of managing these areas and making sure drivers follow the restrictions that are in place. That’s important for everyone’s safety.”

Pontefract will be the first place to see an upgrade, with work expected to begin this months, followed by Castleford, Normanton, Ossett and Wakefield city centre.

Bollards provide a physical barrier to support legal restrictions already in place to stop vehicles accessing pedestrianised areas.

Permit holders and emergency vehicles are able to get access at any time.

The existing restrictions on designated pedestrian zones mean it’s an offence to drive on them, unless authorised.

Coun Morley added: “We’re working hard to get the bollard replacements rolled out quickly.

“In the meantime, people still need to follow the restrictions, which are there to protect pedestrians.”