I visited Birmingham community split by dangerous ‘motorway …

The depth of feeling after a boy, 12, was killed on a Birmingham^[1] road, likened to a motorway, was clear. BirminghamLive attended the A45^[2] Coventry Road in Hay Mills a month and a day after Azaan Khan was struck while crossing on his bike after visiting the shops for his mum on Thursday, June 8.

There we found a group of campaigners numbering in their dozens calling for change. They know the journey Azaan was taking, they and their families in Hay Mills make it daily.

It is a journey which sees the community divided by the six, and at some points seven lane Coventry Road – likened to a motorway. It slices through the middle of a community where families cross one side to go to Redhill Primary School. Or the other to shops including the Hay Mills Convenience Store.

Families crisscross the road every day. Each trip involves them running the risk of cars jumping red lights, speeding or committing a banned U-turn, because drivers cannot be bothered to go a little further to the roundabout to make a legal about turn.

The road is built up on each side and has school children crossing. But there is still a 40mph limit in place, rather than 30mph. It's something residents want changing.

One mum, Yasmin, who helped organise the protest and memorial event for Azaan on Sunday (July 9) said she crosses the road six times a day. The mum-of-two has lived in Deakins Road for eight years. She said: “I got involved after the incident with Azaan.

“When it happened I had come this way. I saw paramedics work on him."

'Something needs to be done - driving is horrendous'

Yasmin continued: "My son goes to Redhill School. I have a son six and a two-year-old. I cross the road six times a day and it’s horrendous. Azaan was with two other friends and his mum had sent him to the shops. He was crossing the road at the crossing when he was hit by a car.

“We need better prevention here. There’s no cameras and no police presence. Cameras would help us and help the council. It would be a win win.

“I think the road should be 30mph. Something to deter drivers. The council should be doing something like this. Drivers around here know there’s no deterrent. We should be able to cross the road safely.”

'We understand we have to do more'

Tyseley and Hay Mills councillor Zafar Iqbal (Lab) attended the event. Living amongst the community himself and a Streetwatch member, regularly checking the speeds of motorists using Coventry Road, he said: “It’s obviously a sad day, remembering a young child who died here.

“Residents have come out and I really appreciate that. We have had speed cameras put in. We had a boy racer problem and had an injunction to stop them.

“I have children and grandchildren and I cross the road every day. The main thing is driver behaviour. That’s the problem. Going over red lights. Doing U-turns when they are banned."

Cllr Iqbal continued: “We understand we have to do more. We have done some work. What I have asked contractors for is to come down on July 19 and have a meeting with the cabinet member, Cllr Liz Clements. We are going to look at it.

“We are already discussing it. It’s not just the council everybody has got to be involved in it. We will come up with something. What the residents want, I will take it to the council.”

The protest on Sunday, at the corner of Coventry Road and Berkeley Road, was part-organised by road safety campaign group Better Streets for Birmingham. Matt MacDonald, co-chair of the group, gave an impassioned speech saying Birmingham had been designed with car drivers in mind, not for pedestrians or cyclists.

He demanded a rethink and told BirminghanLive: “We focus on the importance of road safety. People are being maimed and killed in this city at an alarming rate.

“There’s a culture of impunity around the breaking of rules of our roads, as drivers that has emerged over many, many years."

He continued: "There’s no reason to have what is effectively a motorway running through the community. It was designed in the 60s and 70s. More and more people have come.

“More and more people have got cars. These roads are clogged up with traffic There existence is a threat to the people that live here. It’s an incredibly hostile place for pedestrians. We need a culture that puts the most vulnerable road users first.”

'We need people to shift out of private journeys and onto mass transport'

Listening to Matt’s speech was Cllr Liz Clements, Birmingham City Council^[6] ’s cabinet member for transport. After the event, Cllr Clements spoke to BirminghamLive and said: “It’s very sad that it’s necessary to hold these protests. This is the third we have had.

“I offer my condolences to Azaan’s family. On the road there’s a huge volume of traffic moving very fast on a multi-lane road. The council is committed to change the speed from 40mph to 30mph. And changing it so pedestrian and cyclists have priority.

“On this road we have a massive bus priority scheme. We need people to shift out of private journeys and onto mass transport.

"We have a Vision Zero road safety strategy to eliminate road deaths. Absolutely we need to improve public transport. And improve the influence of bus and rail operators. We want people to think can they do journeys on foot or by bike instead of by car.”

Police arrested a 32-year-old man on suspicion of dangerous and drug driving in connection with Azaan's death. He was later released on bail.

References

1. ^{^} Birmingham (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
2. ^{^} A45 (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
3. ^{^} Fury over drivers gaze at mobiles near crossing where schoolboy killed (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
4. ^{^} First picture of tragic schoolboy as Yafai brothers pay tribute (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
5. ^{^} Mums in road battle where child killed say council warned death 'inevitable (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
6. ^{^} Birmingham City Council (www.birminghammail.co.uk)