AN outspoken councillor has hit out at bollards intended to protect cyclists and pedestrians, calling them a 'waste of money' which would be better spent on 'fixing potholes'.
Cllr Alan Amos hit out at plans to install the £26,000 'milestones' on Malvern Road in Worcester while work continues to repair Powick Old Bridge after its partial collapse.
A five-night closure will take begin on Tuesday, August 27 for the bollards' installation.
Since the announcement, Cllr Amos, the last Conservative city councillor in Worcester, made his own enquiries to find out how much the milestones cost.
He now believes taxpayers' money would be better spent elsewhere.
Hedges were being trimmed back at Malvern Road in Lower Wick, Worcester on Monday with temporary traffic lights installed for road improvement works, causing some delays for drivers.
Cllr Amos previously said the hedges were too overgrown, leaving limited space for pedestrians, especially when cyclists were also using the same path.
The route over the medieval bridge, which suffered a partial collapse in January, was popular with pedestrians and cyclists. However, with the bridge closed, both groups have to use the footpath next to the busy main road that runs between Lower Wick and Powick roundabout.
The city and county councillor recently refused to move for cyclists on the shared path in Malvern Road, between the Powick roundabout and Old Road as he argued it was for cyclists to give way.
As previously reported, Cllr Amos, representing Lower Wick and Pitmaston on the city council, said the cones on Malvern Road forced drivers nearer to the centre line of the road.
He also argued that pedestrians were the priority and cyclists should dismount but is far from impressed with the 'milestones' which would replace the cones as a more permanent feature.
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Cllr Amos said: "They are nothing like actual milestones and are just two bollards stuck on a platform and are as wide as the cones already in the road, so a grotesque waste of money for a handful of lazy and selfish cyclists."
He described the bollards as 'an obstruction causing cars to drive into the middle of the road for a handful of cyclists'.
"It just takes up road space. Why don't they just use this money to repair potholes if they have this amount of money to waste?" he said.
A spokesperson for Worcestershire County Council said: “The full costs associated with installation of the Milestone bollards are £26,000 and these form part of the wider scheme to carry out repairs to Powick Bridge. These bollards are necessary to ensure continued safe access for all path users during the works.”
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