St Helier honorary police have been forced to step-up patrols in the area due to the number of vehicles driving down the now-pedestrianised road.
The street is closed to traffic, with the exception of buses and delivery vehicles at certain times. The changes – initially implemented so that pedestrians had additional space to physically distance – were extended until the end of 2021, after St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft proposed the road should be a ‘pedestrian-priority’ zone.
However, town centre and events manager Connor Burgher said that, despite the introduction of multiple signs, Islanders were still trying to drive down the road as before – prompting the St Helier honorary police to start regularly enforcing the measures.
Vingtenier Ben Wheaton said: ‘We are here for awareness and to point out offences being committed by motorists when they do drive down Broad Street. In a short while we will start reporting people to the parish hall where a fine or another sanction could be imposed at that level.’
He added that on one occasion there had been around 15 people breaching the restrictions every hour.
Centenier Paul Davies said that the recent removal of a barrier – which had stopped drivers from turning into Broad Street – had probably contributed to the problem.
He said: ‘It’s human nature, isn’t it? If you see a barrier that has been there for 12 months and it’s taken away then you think it’s open, don’t you? Even though there was no suggestion of it actually being open. This is why we are raising awareness.’
He added that the fines could range between £50 to £100.
When asked how long they would be enforcing the measures, he said: ‘We will do it for as long as we have to and then see what comes of it.’
Mr Burgher said: ‘The law is the law, which is why the honorary officers are here and I am grateful to them for that. It has been quite frustrating to see people driving down it – I’m sure it wasn’t intentional.’
When asked if he planned to introduce similar schemes elsewhere in town, Mr Crowcroft said: ‘I think that these things have to be done in an evolutionary way – there are more important priorities for me than closing streets. There is a complete absence around waking and cycling policies which are desperately overdue.’
He added: ‘I think that the government has really got to focus on delivering safe walking and cycling facilities, especially in town.’
