PEDESTRIANS are being urged to report vehicles driving through the centre of town when they are not supposed to over fears a child may be hit.

At a meeting of Falmouth Town Council's finance and general purposes committee last week during a discussion on funding sources the subject of the town centre rising bollard being moved was brought up.

There are plans to move the bollard to the top of Market Street if funding was available, however questions were raised on whether something more effective should be introduced.

Cllr John Spargo said it was a good idea to move the bollard but wasn't there something more effective that could be used?

"It's a good idea but maybe we need something better than the bollard?" he said.

Falmouth mayor Cllr Steve Eva queried what was there to stop motorcyclists driving through the town when they were not allowed to.

"If somebody drove through the town and knocked somebody over and seriously hurt them, nothing would come back on the town council because we have no legal right on the highway, it would have to go back to Cornwall Council as the highways authority.

"It is extremely dangerous going through the town at the moment. The speed of some of the cars they wouldn't even see a child running out of a shop and stop. They would stand no chance at all."

Cllr Spargo said: "You see lots of parents are completely panicked because of their children wondering where their kids are."

Cllr Jayne Kirkham said anybody witnessing bad driving through the centre of town should report it on 101 immediately.

"Just keep doing it, reporting it every time," she said.

"Cars aren't such a big problem," said Cllr Spargo. "They've physically got to drive down that road. If there are enough people about then the cars have to go slowly. If you're a small vehicle like a cyclist or a moped they all seem to feel they have got the ability to miss everything and they don't seem to have any understanding about water on the cobbles. A slight twist of the handlebars to avoid people and they can take several people out in one go. It's not just about speed but why you are driving through in the middle of the day."

Cllr Eva said there was also a problem now with vehicles parking on the road when they are not allowed to. "I do feel sorry for the disabled people," he said "but people are starting to park cars in the street and that's supposed to be a ticketable offence anyway. I'm just scared that parents think it's pedestrianised and take their eye off a two or five year-old for five seconds and they could be gone."

READ NEXT:

LETTER: 'Falmouth will be robbed' £2m not enough to fund new pool

Responding, committee chair Cllr Jude Robinson said: "We know there is a problem we know it should be reported. We would encourage people to report dangerous driving to put pressure on Cornwall Council to provide funds from the town vitality fund to sort out."

Cllr Kirkham said Falmouth was supposed to be getting £50,000 from Cormac for new signage.