I AM anxious about possible misinterpretation of the purpose of the traffic-calming 'humps' which have been installed in the George Street/ St James Street/Post Office area.
Maybe I am wrong, but I don't believe that these have the same legal significance as a zebra crossing, but the public often treat them as though they are identical.
Slowing down the traffic is obviously a useful safety measure — although looking at the current quite extraordinary narrowing of Fore Street, I think the problem will soon have sorted itself out by traffic in Okehampton being unable to move at all — but the worrying aspect of these paved crossings is the way in which some pedestrians step off in front of cars as though these are zebra crossings, though in fact I believe they are no such thing.
If this was the intended purpose of the raised areas, it might save someone being injured if they were painted in the recognisable style of zebras as soon as possible.
J C Twomey
Elmfield House
Hatherleigh
PS: Did anyone who heard about the proposed changes to the roads in central Okehampton actually think they were a good idea?