Elgin Academy schoolgirls launch petition to stop speeding cars on Moss Street
Schoolgirls who are worried about walking the short distance between each other’s homes due to speeding motorists have launched a petition.
Dulcie Robertson, 13, and Grace Merrin, 12, live at opposite ends of Elgin’s Moss Street, just a matter of metres apart, but have said that the short walk is “too dangerous”.
The Elgin Academy pair have spent their summer holidays gathering signatures from concerned residents on Moss Street, Duff Avenue and Academy Street as they get set to make their case to Moray Council and local SNP MSP Richard Lochhead.
There are 67 names on the petition at the last count. It is due to be handed to Mr Lochhead and the council’s roads department by the end of the school break.
Dulcie said: “Our mums used to walk us up and down the street to each other’s houses, but now we are getting older we have got a little bit more freedom.
“But it’s a little bit too dangerous for us to walk up and down, so we have started this petition to get the council to notice this and do something about the speeding.
“It wasn’t so much of a problem when we were younger and our mums used to walk us, but it’s got worse in the past three or four years.
“We haven’t finished knocking on all houses yet, but everyone has been really positive and signed the petition.”
Moss Street is a two-way road with a 30mph speed limit. However, proposals to make the street one-way were introduced in 2017.
Proposals suggest making the section of Moss Street between South Street and Institution Road one-way, heading north.
The plan would be to close the road where it meets Station Road. The southern section of the road would then become access only, with bollards put in place.
A consultation on these plans will be necessary and will likely take place in the coming year.
In the meantime, Grace hopes the council will make the road safer for her and the other youngsters living on the street.
She added: “We will hopefully get speed bumps, cameras, traffic lights or something that will stop the problem. Anything that will slow them down.”
Andrea Robertson and Karen Merrin are proud of their daughters’ efforts on the campaign, which has been done totally off their own backs.
“There have been so many times that they have been walking along and someone flies down at super speed,” Andrea explained.
“People don’t realise it’s a residential area. There are a lot of little children.
“We are really proud. They are not just doing this for themselves, but because there are younger children than them, older people and animals.
“Grace has already had a cat killed on the road and they are just worried that something bad is going to happen.”
