Question
The pedestrian controlled traffic lights in Wiltshire Road were recently replaced on an almost like-for-like basis bar two features. One was low energy bulbs, the other was the addition of a proximity sensor. Fomites are a significant factor in the spread of covid-19 so anything that obviates the need to push a button to stop the traffic is obviously a good idea. But the Council’s Highway’s Department disagree for although paying for this potentially life-saving feature they are refusing to activate it, forcing pedestrians to touch a potentially infected button.
The Executive Member for Highways is fully aware of this and had chosen to support the bizarre policy decision. Would she please explain why her Department won’t use the sensors which taxpayer’s money have funded the consequence of which is promoting the spread of the disease?
Minutes:
The pedestrian controlled traffic lights in Wiltshire Road were recently replaced on an almost like-for-like basis bar two features. One was low energy bulbs; the other was the addition of a proximity sensor. Fomites are a significant factor in the spread of Covid-19 so anything that obviates the need to push a button to stop the traffic is obviously a good idea. But the Council’s Highway’s Department disagree for although paying for this potentially life-saving feature they are refusing to activate it, forcing pedestrians to touch a potentially infected button.
The Executive Member for Highways is fully aware of this and had chosen to support the bizarre policy decision. Would she please explain why her Department won’t use the sensors which taxpayer’s money have funded, the consequence of which is promoting the spread of the disease?
Answer
The pedestrian controlled traffic lights in Wiltshire Road were recently upgraded to utilise low energy lamps, pedestrian detection equipment and a new traffic signal controller containing improved communication and management software. The detection equipment is in place and functioning, so as to extend the green man phase when slower walkers or groups of pedestrians are crossing the road and a longer stage is required.
The Council did not, however, introduce measures that removed the need for push button demand for crossing completely, since the need for this facility to be retained was considered to be greater at that time and a review of the potential for this measure was scheduled to follow the introduction of more permanent active travel measures to support walking and cycling.
However, as a result of the gradual removal of Covid-supporting measures in the town centre the need for automatic detection remains low. The use of a push button to call the pedestrian stage at a crossing is deemed to create no greater health hazard for pedestrians than their use of cashpoint machines in banks, payment machines in shops and door handles to public buildings, all of which members of the public are faced with using when visiting the town and for which their personal hygiene and Covid prevention actions should provide sufficient protection.
I should also point out that the June 2020 European Centre for
Disease Control report on Covid transmission, which said that indirect transmission from fomites, which is things such as crossings, is considered possible but so far no occurrences have been documented. Handwashing I would say remains the best solution. The only way you can get Covid through touching things is if you then touch your mouth, nose or eyes. It is not transmitted through the skin.
We will review this decision should there be any deterioration in the Covid situation that would require such measures to be introduced in line with government guidance.
Supplementary Question:
As we know from the media, there are different views on science and it is never black and white. For instance, the prestigious journal the New England Medical Journal, has said that fomites can be a problem, and hence that it is why you if you go for example, down to a supermarket, they spray all the trolleys that you are going to touch, and other surfaces. That is why when I go to my physiotherapist; they have a 10 minute gap between appointments so that they can spray everything possible that the last person may have touched to prevent disease. In the well-known phrase ‘every little helps’ why is the Council refusing to actually activate this facility, that they paid for, and it just seems ridiculous that you are not willing to help. We are never going to prove where an infection comes from but surely, you should have it on your conscience to try and prevent infections, so why will you not do it?
Supplementary Answer:
We will follow the government guidance and we will follow the professional advice from the Disease Control people, and the information at the moment is that what we are doing is quite sufficient.