A government minister has told an MHK he should have raised road safety concerns for Arbory when he was in the department that dealt with traffic.

The jibe from Home Affairs Minister Graham Cregeen was directed at Jason Moorhouse. They are both MHKs for Arbory, Castletown and Malew and can be expected to be fighting each other for votes at next year’s general election.

Mr Cregeen has raised concerns over road safety issues outside Arbory School, while warning that a crossing point created next to the parish hall in Ballabeg could actually end up causing more accidents.

Mr Moorhouse is a former member of the Department of Infrastructure, which is responsible for roads, while Mr Cregeen is the political head of the police, responsible for enforcing road safety laws.

In response to written questions about the crossing, Mr Cregeen said the DoI did not consult the police but that he would have not expected the department to as it has ’no enforcement obligations’.

He added: ’It is noted that [Mr Moorhouse] was a member of the Department of Infrastructure at the time and should therefore have been aware of this decision.

’The expectation being that if the honourable member had concerns he could have raised them at the time within the department.’

The crossing in question consists of a ’red surface treatment’ across the road.

Infrastructure Minister Tim Baker, in reply to a further question from Mr Moorhouse, said the markings were to ’highlight the presence of the uncontrolled pedestrian crossing facility’.

He said: ’The introduction of a contrasting colour enhances the legibility of the crossing for people with visual impairments.

’These facilities do not confer any priority on the user seeking to cross but can have a positive influence on driver behaviour by encouraging them to slow down.’

crossing

The crossing was part of a ’larger scheme to improve pedestrian facilities and increase the sense of place within the village’ and the design taken from The Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation document Designing for Walking.

Mr Moorhouse, who quit the DoI shortly after Mr Baker was appointed minister, also raised questions about safety outside Arbory School in Ballabeg.

He has accused the DoI of doing nothing, since a public meeting last year, except spend money on independent advisors.

Concerns include the number of parents dropping off or collecting children from the school, making it difficult for those wanting to walk to school and causing traffic congestion.

A safety report from traffic consultants Sustrans - pledged at the meeting - is still being waited upon.

In further Tynwald questions, Mr Moorhouse asked Mr Baker to publish the Sustrans report and its correspondence with the school.

The minister said a wider report on suggested solutions for congestion solutions outside the school was commercially sensitive and not for publication to third parties.

However, Mr Baker said a report an ’overall review of speeds and collisions recorded before and after the introduction of the scheme in Ballabeg’ was still anticipated in the near future. He pledged the results would be made available.

Mr Moorhouse has questioned how much credence was given to the views of school staff, parents and residents.