A Reading resident has urged caution and change, with speeding continuing to cause issues on Kings Road.

One of the more prominent routes through the town, the stretch of road between the Prudential roundabout up to Cemetery Junction, running past Reading College, the road has had numerous accidents.

Most recently, in December 2021 somebody was injured in a major accident between a motorbike and a lorry.

James Allen lives in one of the side roads off of the Kings Road, and he believes it is getting more dangerous by the day.

 

 

Speaking on the scene, he said: “It’s very dangerous.

“It is not being addressed and people could very easily be injured.

“It is not aimed at people doing one, two or even three miles an hour over the speed limit, it is people who seem to be doing twice the speed limit.

“I see people zoom along here, even in poor weather.”

Mr Allen has contacted the authorities himself, with the Thames Valley Police telling him to contact the local council.

Despite being aware of these issues, Mr Allen has almost fallen foul of the ‘boy racers’ himself.

He continued: “I was trying to cross the road and a Range Rover and an Audi were racing, if they had slipped even a couple of inches, they would have hit me at the crossing.

“People seem to think they can get away with it.”

He added: “There are no speed cameras along here, so there is nothing to deter people or scare them.

“With police resources thin, they can’t just sit and watch people all the time, but it would bring notice to drivers.

“We’ve had three crashes in the last year and there is no deterrent for speeders.

“I am worried it will take someone dying for them to do something.”

 

Reading Chronicle:

Above: Kings Road, a speeding concern for many

 

In response to Mr Allen's concerns, councillor Tony Page said: “The council is aware that speeding remains an issue on this stretch of road as well as many others in the Borough.

"Unfortunately speed enforcement is currently a police responsibility which receives only occasional attention.

"The borough would like to take over speed enforcement (in the same way as we did parking enforcement 20 years ago), but the police oppose this even though it ranks as a very low priority for them.

"We will again press this matter when we meet the Chief Constable and the Police and Crime Commissioner next week.”