Latest news with #bollards
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Tulips bollards in Westminster to 'protect cyclists and bring joy'
Colourful tulip-shaped bollards have sprung up in central London in a bid to separate traffic from cyclists while adding a splash of bollards made from recycled plastic have been installed to line bike lanes in Sussex Gardens, by the poppies at the Tower of London and the sunflower field scene in the Tour de France, it is hoped they will be more visible to drivers."The idea was to protect cyclists, but also to try and bring joy to the street," said Luke Tozer, director at Pitman Tozer Architects, which helped create the wands. "We road tested it, we had trucks run over it, we had cyclists hitting into them, to check that they would survive in the urban environment." Designer Alex Douglas said: "I started on this back in 2022, so it's really nice to finally see it on the streets."A ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by the newly appointed Lord Mayor of Westminster, Paul Dimoldenberg, the BBC's Jeremy Vine and social media sensation Sigrid, the deaf cat who explores London by bike, and her owner Travis Nelson.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Beware the bollards warning after six cars hit
Drivers have been warned to beware of a network of rising bollards in Leicester city centre after six vehicles were hit in the space of a fortnight. Leicester City Council has replaced existing bollards and installed new ones in 18 locations surrounding the pedestrian zone in the city centre over the last few months. Since they were reactivated two weeks ago, six vehicles have collided with the bollards, five of which were damaged. A council spokesman says CCTV has shown all the vehicles hit had tailgated others and issued a reminder for motorists to follow the rules when passing through the rising barriers. In the latest incidents, two vehicles collided with the rising bollards in High Street in quick succession on Thursday morning. The first, a silver Mitsubishi SUV was left with a blown out tyre, while the second, an Audi A6, appeared to be more seriously damaged, with debris and electrical wires left on the road after the impact. One eyewitness, who did not wish to be named, said: "The bollards are really sturdy, like they're an anti-terrorist measure. "They've not been working for a long time and a lot of people don't know what to do when they drive up to them. "If people drive up to them when a car is already going through, they don't realise they need to stop." A Leicester City Council spokesperson pointed out there were red signs at the bollards warning drivers not to tailgate others. He said: "There have been six incidents of vehicles colliding with the new automatic bollards since they came into operation two weeks ago, resulting in damage to five of the vehicles. "In each case, CCTV evidence shows that the driver was tailgating, and that the warning light was on red. "We are content that the new system is working as intended. Signage is in place warning drivers to be careful and avoid tailgating at each of the sites, along with stop and go lights and audio warnings. "Around 800 to 900 vehicles will enter the city centre pedestrian zone through the new automatic bollards on a typical weekday." However, extra yellow temporary signs warning motorists not to tailgate were put in place at the bollards in High Street on Friday afternoon. The council has issued the following directions and guidance for all motorists in relation to the rising bollards: Only residents, businesses and drivers making deliveries are allowed to pass through and need to use a PIN code to gain entry outside allowable hours. The allowable hours are 05:00 to 11:00, except on Saturdays when the hours are reduced to between 05:00 and 09:00. One-time use PIN codes can be issued to those with legitimate reasons for accessing the zone outside of the allowable hours. The automatic bollards rise immediately after a vehicle has entered the pedestrian zone to prevent tailgating and warning signs and red lights are in place to alert drivers of the risk. The bollards will only allow one vehicle through at a time. After entering the code to retract the bollard, every driver should wait for the green light and must not chance it by tailgating the previous vehicle. Follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. New bollards which rise out of road installed Leicester City Council
The Sun
25-05-2025
- General
- The Sun
Ordinary street divides locals as bollards painted like CIGARETTES line the roads… with council dishing bizarre warning
'DISGUSTING' bollards painted to look like cigarettes have divided locals. Three bollards have been repainted for a unique take on street art, complete with a gold stripe and orange top. 4 4 Hythe Road, in Swindon is the home of three bollards which have been painted in white and orange to replicate the style of a cigarette. The 'cigarette' bollards have divided residents, with some saying it is "funny" and others insisting it is "disgusting". Others have said it is a "brilliant idea" and have thanked the anonymous artist for "making the area look a bit better". One person said: "I probably would've preferred it not to be cigarettes if given the choice, but honestly it looks much better than it did when they were just bollards, so I'm all in favour of it." Another added: "I hope they're allowed to stay as they are, it's a fun little joke and it isn't harming anyone. "I would love to see more stuff like this happen all over town and hope that artists who want to use their time and resources are encouraged to do things like this rather than stopped." A third person said: "Very funny, to be honest. Hope they stay." While another added: "Disgusting." Another was equally as disappointed by the design, saying: "Pathetic whose stupid idea was this." Others were more positive, with one local writing online: "They say you can't polish a turd but in Old Town they certainly try!" Moment neighbour smashes flats with axe in horror siege - before donning scuba gear, clutching spear & hiding in bathtub Some locals have encouraged the person behind the transformation to keep their identity hidden. A Swindon Borough Council spokesperson said: "We love street art in Swindon and this is certainly a very unusual choice of design. "We don't want to stub out the flame of this artist's creativity, but the artwork obviously doesn't align with the efforts of our Public Health team to get people to quit smoking. "We very much hope that passers-by who have kicked the habit don't develop old cravings, but, if they do, we'd encourage them and any other smokers to visit the Council's website and search 'Stop Smoking Services' for a range of advice and support." Comments on the local newspaper website, the Swindon Advertiser, generally approved of the design. One wrote: "Anyone else think it's just hilarious?" Other locals praised the design for encouraging debate about the risks of smoking. In response to those who were concerned about the health implications, one local resident wrote: "Come on, have a laugh now and then." Others used it as an opportunity to comment on some of the issues affecting Swindon, with one suggesting the artist paint a syringe design next. Some locals were eager to identify the artist, with one speculating whether it could be a Banksy. 4
BBC News
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Six cars hit by Leicester's new rising bollards in two weeks
Drivers have been warned to beware of a network of rising bollards in Leicester city centre after six vehicles were hit in the space of a City Council has replaced existing bollards and installed new ones in 18 locations surrounding the pedestrian zone in the city centre over the last few they were reactivated two weeks ago, six vehicles have collided with the bollards, five of which were damaged. A council spokesman says CCTV has shown all the vehicles hit had tailgated others and issued a reminder for motorists to follow the rules when passing through the rising barriers. In the latest incidents, two vehicles collided with the rising bollards in High Street in quick succession on Thursday morning. The first, a silver Mitsubishi SUV was left with a blown out tyre, while the second, an Audi A6, appeared to be more seriously damaged, with debris and electrical wires left on the road after the eyewitness, who did not wish to be named, said: "The bollards are really sturdy, like they're an anti-terrorist measure. "They've not been working for a long time and a lot of people don't know what to do when they drive up to them. "If people drive up to them when a car is already going through, they don't realise they need to stop." A Leicester City Council spokesperson pointed out there were red signs at the bollards warning drivers not to tailgate others. He said: "There have been six incidents of vehicles colliding with the new automatic bollards since they came into operation two weeks ago, resulting in damage to five of the vehicles. "In each case, CCTV evidence shows that the driver was tailgating, and that the warning light was on red."We are content that the new system is working as intended. Signage is in place warning drivers to be careful and avoid tailgating at each of the sites, along with stop and go lights and audio warnings."Around 800 to 900 vehicles will enter the city centre pedestrian zone through the new automatic bollards on a typical weekday."However, extra yellow temporary signs warning motorists not to tailgate were put in place at the bollards in High Street on Friday afternoon. The council has issued the following directions and guidance for all motorists in relation to the rising bollards: Only residents, businesses and drivers making deliveries are allowed to pass through and need to use a PIN code to gain entry outside allowable allowable hours are 05:00 to 11:00, except on Saturdays when the hours are reduced to between 05:00 and 09: use PIN codes can be issued to those with legitimate reasons for accessing the zone outside of the allowable automatic bollards rise immediately after a vehicle has entered the pedestrian zone to prevent tailgating and warning signs and red lights are in place to alert drivers of the risk. The bollards will only allow one vehicle through at a time. After entering the code to retract the bollard, every driver should wait for the green light and must not chance it by tailgating the previous vehicle.
BBC News
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
New bollards which rise out of road installed in Leicester
New rising bollards have been installed around main shopping streets in Leicester to make sure unauthorised cars cannot drive into the pedestrianised zone. Leicester City Council has replaced existing bollards and installed new ones in 18 locations over the last few months. The bollards will lower into the ground to allow vehicles into the pedestrianised zone during the hours allowed for loading and unloading, but will prevent unauthorised vehicles from entering the zone at all other council has warned motorists trying to access the area that they must wait for a green light and should not tailgate other vehicles. There are now bollards in place in Belgrave Gate, Cank Street, Carts Lane, Cheapside, Church Gate, East Gates, Fox Lane, Gallowtree Gate, Grey Friars, Guildhall Lane, Haymarket, High Street, Hotel Street, Humberstone Gate, Loseby Lane, Shires Lane, St Martin's Square and King Street. Letters detailing the changes have been sent to every residential and business address within the pedestrian residents and businesses inside the zone will need to use a new authentication system with PIN code to gain entry outside allowable allowable hours are 05:00 to 11:00, except on Saturdays when the time will be from 5:00 to 09:00. One-time use PIN codes can also be issued to those with legitimate reasons for accessing the zone outside of the allowable council's highways director Martin Fletcher said: "Leicester's pedestrian zone was established back in 2006, and the infrastructure installed at that time needed renewing or replacing to ensure it continued to be fit for purpose."By upgrading infrastructure and tightening up access for vehicles to the pedestrian zone, we can more effectively clamp down on those who abuse the system and continue to provide an environment for shopping and leisure activities where people can feel safe."
