Banning cars from Rye High Street during the summer months has been raised again following last week’s horrific crash.
Sussex Police are appealing for witnesses after the collision between a van and two pedestrians at the junction with East Street on Friday 14 August. A white Mercedes Vito mounted the pavement and struck a man and a woman outside a shop at about 1.30pm. Both pedestrians were injured, with the woman sustaining potentially life changing injuries. They were taken to hospital for treatment.
A 37-year-old man from Willesborough in Kent was arrested at the scene on suspicion of drug driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He was taken to custody and later released on bail pending further enquiries.
PC Sam Bourne from Sussex Police said, “The area was very busy at the time of the collision and we would like to hear from anyone who witnessed it or has any CCTV, dashcam or mobile phone footage of the collision.”
Dee Stewart saw the incident whilst working at Rye Art gallery. She’s calling for a campaign to pedestrianise Rye High Street between 10am and 4pm in July and August and during school holidays. “This would keep tourists, adults, children, prams, mobility scooters, dogs and elderly residents safe and make walking through Rye a far more enjoyable experience. Businesses could also safely put out tables and chairs.”
Image Credits: James Stewart .
A considered approach to the interaction between pedestrians and vehicles on Rye High Street is probably worth while exercise.
A knee jerk reaction to this incident may not be the right answer though. The person was arrested for drug driving, incidents like this are very rare and should be mitigated by most reasonable people. Most reasonable people don’t drug/drink & drive. The wider impact of pedestrianisation needs to be considered too. Deliveries, weddings, the taxi trade, and congestion in other parts of the town if new traffic management was to be introduced. Don’t mention South Undercliff
I was up there yesterday it was so busy and with the pavements being so narrow you had to walk off the pavement to get by.
A very good suggestion to ban traffic within certain hours, cafes
with tables outside would bring more trade. Lets do it
Guildford is an example of closing a cobbled High Street which works well. It is shut to cars between 11 and 5 which allows for deliveries but leaves a pleasant tourist area safe , traffic free and more spacious due to lack of parked cars. Rye is much smaller but businesses could benefit from pavement cafes and other drawcards. Many tourists behave as though it were already a pedestrian zone so it is dangerous as it is even with careful drivers.
Excellent plan. I’ve calling for this for years!
Closing the High Street would cause great inconvenience to residents of the centre of Rye, as well as making deliveries and emergency access to Church Square and Watchbell Street almost impossible. If Mermaid Street is blocked by delivery vehicles and drop-offs for the Mermaid then there is no access at all.
Sadly I thought it was an accident waiting to happen, irrespective of the alleged condition of the driver. One of the problems is the sheer size of many modern cars using our narrow streets these these days. One only has to witness huge SUVs and vans attempting to turn down Market Hill from the High St, with pedestrians crowded on both corners waiting to cross, to see how potentially dangerous the situation is becoming. Limited pedestrianisation is one solution worth considering.