Foremost in our thoughts and prayers at the present time are the loved ones of the pensioner Mrs Zainab Bibi who tragically lost her life in a recent road accident in Birmingham.
Mrs Zainab Bibi, a grandmother of ten, was the victim of a hit-and-run driver. Her daughter Zarina says, "I miss her so much. She was widowed 41 years ago and she raised us single-handedly. She was mother and father to us. When we arrived at the hospital she had already gone. Her life was devoted to us. I spoke to her every day. Everyday living is so hard, my kids are missing her. Her life was based on us. When I’m looking for some advice, I have nobody to talk to."
As an outcome of this fatality, which is one of many to have occurred on this stretch of Burney Lane, we stringently request a renewed appraisal might take place into making this road safer for pedestrians.
These multiple accidents and fatalities has been specifically drawn attention to by the Local MP Mr Liam Byrne in a speech to the House of Commons Road Safety Committee which is Available online. He describes Burney Lane as a “race track” and draws attention, in particular, to two recent child fatalities on this road together with being the scene of seven accidents in the space of only five years.
Please sign my petition asking Washwood Heath Council to install a barrier to make Burney Lane safer for pedestrians immediately.
The incident of the death of Mrs Bibi is near a bus stop which is positioned near to the brow of the hill. Pedestrians, when alighting buses, are inclined to cross the road into the path of traffic approaching at speed from the opposite direction, with limited visibility due to parked buses and also this brow to the hill, rather than to walk the distance to the pelican crossing shown on the horizon. Whereas, if this stretch of Burney Lane were to be turned into a dual-carriageway with a fixed barrier between the two carriageways, in this instance pedestrians would be prevented from crossing at the bus stop and instead would have to make the effort of walking the distance to the pedestrian crossing.
We trust these concerns will be given due consideration by our local Councillors and Member of Parliament:
Cllr Mariam Khan, Cllr Mohammed Idrees, Cllr Ansar Ali Khan and the MP of Hodge Hill Constituency the Rt Hon Liam Byrne.
