Friday 15 May 2015
Media Enquiry from Guernsey Press:
We understand that off-duty police officers are manning the crossing at The Quay when cruise liners with more than 1,500 passengers are visiting after the Environment Department raised safety concerns.
Please can you tell me what these concerns are? Are there any other reasons for this happening? How long will this go on for? Could the traffic layout be changes as a result?
Environment Department Response:
The new traffic layout along the Quay is not the cause or reason for requiring marshals at the informal crossing on busy cruise liner days. This is an entirely separate issue.
As part of a review of previous traffic management and pedestrian safety arrangements along The Quay it was deemed by the Environment Department that changes needed to be made to the layout of the existing informal pedestrian crossing in order to improve safety for pedestrians. This was primarily due to the fact that pedestrians had to negotiate a three lane road with up to 20,000 vehicle movements per day without any form of central refuge in which to wait for traffic to pass or allow them to continue to cross the road. There were also concerns regarding the availability of space for vehicles to be able to unload without interfering with the flow of northbound traffic.
By reducing The Quay to single file in each direction, providing a central refuge and lowering the speed limit it was considered that existing traffic and pedestrian volumes could inter-mix in relative safety. These actions allowed the crossing to remain in place as an informal crossing rather than closing the crossing, introducing traffic lights or turning the crossing into a zebra crossing all of which had previously been trialled.
However, as an informal crossing there is an upper limit beyond which an increase in pedestrian numbers would not be acceptable without other management measures being introduced. That upper limit (600 pedestrians per hour) can comfortably accommodate the typical every day usage at the crossing.
The cruise liner industry is a growing business for Guernsey and it is resulting in increasing numbers of people wanting to cross from the harbour into the heart of Town. Following the relocation of cruise liner berthing facilities to the Albert Pier, the number of people crossing both South Esplanade and the Quay has increased significantly. The first large cruise liner, The Oriana, brought 1,580 passengers ashore on 2nd April leading to pedestrian movements exceeding 800 crossings per hour at peak times (between 12.00 and 13.00) at The Quay.
Accordingly, at the recommendation of Environment's Traffic Services Unit, Guernsey Harbours agreed with the Police that intervention would be required at the informal crossing on weekdays and on Saturdays when pedestrian flows were likely to exceed the above limits. This intervention not only provides assistance for pedestrians but also ensures that traffic can continue to flow along the seafront. Most importantly it means the crossing can remain open whereas otherwise it would have to close.
These measures are likely to remain in place throughout the 2015 cruise liner season on days when high numbers of cruise liner passengers are expected to come ashore. However, this is very much a moving feast and existing traffic control measures and other arrangements put in place to manage the cruise liner passenger requirements will continue to be reviewed in conjunction with Guernsey Harbours and the Police throughout the summer.
It is understood that Guernsey Police has already responded to you on the manning issues.
Contact Information:
Karl Guille, Traffic and Transport Services Manager
Environment Department
Tel: 243400
