Junction ‘not accident blackspot’

FADED: road markings at the junction of Waterloo Street and Rhodes Banks, scene of Monday’s accident

OLDHAM Council has responded to claims that the junction of Waterloo Street and Rhodes Bank is an accident blackspot.

Figures have shown that only five minor incidents have been reported at the crossroads in the past three years - but the data doesn’t include unreported incidents.

The debate was sparked on Monday when two women were taken to hospital after an accident involving a Honda Civic and a Nissan Juke, with a pregnant driver at the wheel.

Firefighters had to cut the roof off the Honda to get the driver out. Neither driver was seriously injured.

One Glodwick-based driving instructor, Forhad Miah (21), said there were incidents at the junction every two weeks - and said his students didn’t know the junction was there due to poor road markings.

Councillor Dave Hibbert said that most of the incidents had been caused by failures to stop, and new road markings were being painted soon.

He said: “Our records show there have been five minor accidents in the last three years at this busy junction. Most resulted from drivers failing to give way to traffic.”

He said heavy use of the junction during Metrolink works had worn the markings, but these were due to be replaced in May, along with significant repairs to the road surface of Rhodes bank.”