Local Carshalton residents demand action to be taken against a dangerous nearby bridge, as another van becomes trapped under its low ceiling. 

The bridge located at the end of Shorts Road, is not only situated at the beginning of a busy intersection, but also backs onto the local Primary and Secondary Schools. Inarguably it is at the epicentre of the everyday commuter - pedestrian and driver alike. Though many of those commuters would be well aware of the troubles concerning the Shorts Road bridge.

It's height has been an issue for decades. Many trucks too tall for the bridge have become trapped underneath it. A student who attended St Philomena's over a decade ago, recalls the bridge being just as dangerous then, as it is today. 

A local resident and current pupil of St Philomena's, Isabella Cusano, was kind enough to comment on the subject after experiencing the mayhem first hand:

"I was walking with my friends to buy my lunch. As we walked under the tunnel, we noticed a van had stopped under it. It wasn't until we reached the other side that we realised the van had stopped because it was stuck." 

The above photo depicts the van in the very same position as described by Isabella. The ceiling had very obviously ripped away the roof of the van, causing the plastic to hang over the side. 

"It was dangerous because oncoming cars had to make u-turns onto the pavement which me and my friend were walking on." Isabella continued. When asked how the situation made her feel, she described it as "threatening" and causing her to "feel on edge." 

However, Isabella is not the first to experience the dangers of cars making illegal u-turns onto the pavement. As mentioned earlier, many sixth form students commute out of the school for break and lunch. And the local primary school that backs onto it, often has an abundance of parents and children travelling to and from. With this in mind, it seems almost inconceivable for many of the commuters who deal with this issue, that adequate safety measures have still not been implemented by the council. 

Most have learnt to be wary of the cars driving onto the pavement, though many believe that it is an accident waiting to happen. With this in mind, some locals have started to question what the council is going to do to prevent any future accidents. Isabella Cusano shared some ideas on the issue, suggesting that:

"They should put a sign up, both next to the tunnel and before the tunnel, to warn lorry drivers of the height so they can make a detour if needed."

When talking to other local residents, this plan of action takes precedent above any other. Which leads to the question, why is the council not dealing with the issue of Shorts Road Bridge?