Petitions calls for Chequers Bridge to reopen

A concerned mother-of-two has started a petition to reopen Chequers Bridge in Langley which has gained more than 600 supporters in a week.

Pardeep Bancil started the petition on Saturday amid concerns about the knock-on effect of the closure.

She claims it is causing traffic chaos and road rage among frustrated commuters, and that it is also has a detrimental impact on air pollution caused by the congestion.

Chequers Bridge, which crosses Market Lane and Hollow Hill Lane, was closed by Slough Borough Council on Tuesday, August 2 as part of an 18-month traffic experiment.

The borough’s aim is to assess how the closure will affect traffic flow in the surrounding area in preparation for future transport projects including Crossrail.

Commenting on the rapid response to her petition, Mrs Bancil, a solicitor, said: “It’s just showing the level of frustration and people are just feeling like Slough Borough Council just doesn’t listen to their views.”

Mrs Bancil said she has noticed the increased levels of traffic caused by the closure. 

“I see the level of traffic and the road rage increasing,” she added. “You can just see the frustration.”

When drivers get out of jams in Willoughby Road, Langley Road and Langley High Street, they are so pent up with frustration that they drive erratically, she added.

Mrs Bancil is now worried about the safety of pedestrians and other commuters.

She added: “There’re so many schools in Langley. It’s just an accident waiting to happen.”

Mrs Bancil also says she’s noticed an increase in air pollution due to more congestion.

SBC leader Cllr Sohail Munawar (Lab, Elliman) said: “We know this road will close permanently at some point in the near future, we have no control over this.

“Therefore it would be negligent of us if we did not do the work now to be prepared for this.”

Visit www.change.org/ p/slough-borough-council-re-open-chequers-bridge-in-langley-slough to sign the petition.