INQUISITIVE pupils at Ridgeway Middle School have been investigating transport problems in Astwood Bank.

Year seven geography students took time out from the classroom to walk down The Ridgeway and Evesham Road to look at the flow and speed of traffic.

They also discussed the issues of public transport, litter and patterns of car parking.

The youngsters have written down their findings in a series of letters, which they have sent to the Advertiser and to Redditch's Highways Partnership manager.

In them, they have expressed concerns about the speed of traffic outside the school, pollution from cars, litter from pedestrians and the poor repair of pavements and roads.

Head of geography Matt Frost said: "The children really enjoyed doing the traffic study, especially as it meant getting out of the classroom.

"As well as looking at transport issues in the village, the pupils also studied transport in Redditch as a whole."

DEAR Editor

I am afraid this is not a very pleasant letter. Me and my class who went on a walk through our local village are worried about the safety of ourselves and the local people of Astwood Bank. The traffic is highly dangerous. You will find in this letter the problems I am most concerned about.

Speed of Traffic

The speed of the traffic is well over the limit and puts the community in danger. Because of this, I believe there should be speed humps dotted along the main road to warn the drivers to slow down. This should decrease the number of accidents and make the residents feel a lot safer. Me and my class (7NB) are disappointed nothing has been done before.

Parking Bays

Parking bays in Astwood Bank are practical but seem to be getting in the way of other drivers who do not intend to use them. If the parking bays were placed in a more suitable position, this would not be a problem. We understand it is hard to find an area where there is no trouble placing them. Consequently, we do have a small main road but more thought could have gone into it. For example, the parking bays could have been placed on one side of the road only.

Traffic Lights

I am sure you are aware of the 4-way traffic lights with the newly-installed pedestrian crossing. This is a vast improvement and should have been done a long time ago. However, although these give plenty of time for young people to cross, the elderly are finding it hard to cross the road in time. As there is a large population of OAPs in Astwood Bank, I would suggest the timing of the lights is looked into.

Residential Parking

Due to the amount of older houses in Astwood Bank, many people have to park on the road. Years ago, when cars were less popular, builders did not need to provide parking spaces. This means that as more people use cars, there is less space on the roadside for residents to park. As there are a number of unused sites in the village, for example the land at the end of Retreat Street, I would suggest these would be ideal places to provide additional parking.

More Hazards

There are many types of pollution in Astwood Bank such as noise pollution, car fumes etc. As you know, we live in a small village and walking from one end to the other would not take a long time at all. More people should walk to school, shops and pubs rather than getting in their cars. As the years pass by people begin to get more and more lazy. Children in Astwood Bank do go out more to see their mates or just to go out and play. Cars should not be used so often. To help this situation, you need to tell people the benefits of leaving their cars at home for short journeys.

State of pavements/roads

The state of our pavements is disgraceful as are our roads. They are cracked and not straight. More concrete of tarmac should be laid in advance. There are a few pot holes around the village which can cause damage to cars but more importantly, pedestrians could hurt themselves.

Beth Dutton

Ridgeway Middle School