Faded zebra crossing 'accident waiting to happen'

People living near a busy link road have called for a faded zebra crossing to be repainted because it has become a "public safety hazard".

Residents said the crossing at The Old School Surgery in Manor Road, Fishponds, is so faded that some motorists cannot see it.

Several complaints posted to FixMyStreet have highlighted near-misses, with the oldest dating back to 2023.

Bristol City Council acknowledged the complaints and said the crossing would be repainted in the next fortnight, subject to dry weather.

One anonymous report filed on 20 April 2023 said the crossing needed to be repainted on safety grounds as it has become dangerous for patients of the local surgery.

Another complaint was lodged on 27 October 2025 by a resident who said they were nearly hit by a van while trying to cross the road.

The most recent report was filed on 16 January this year and stressed the danger posed to children attending schools in the area.

In its response to the October and January complaints, the council described the issue as not urgent and said it would be dealt with as part of planned work in the area.

Lucy Catherine lives in the area and BBC Radio Bristol witnessed her attempt to use the zebra crossing being thwarted by a passing car.

She crossed the road, held her arms up in the air, and said it "happened all the time".

Catherine said the problem had persisted for years but had worsened recently. She said cars failed to stop at the crossing about 50% of the time.

She added that she had taught her children to ignore the fact it was a pedestrian crossing.

Another resident, Sarah, said she had experienced several near-misses on this road in the past.

"Cars go super fast, they don't go 20mph [32km/h] like they should," she said.

"It's so faded that even when I was crossing then, I made sure that the person stopped and then I felt nervous coming over the second half of it."

She said all her friends and family in the area share her worry about using the crossing, emphasising that the stripes should be painted and efforts should be made to address motorists speeding in the area.

Chair of the council's transport committee Ed Plowden acknowledged the complaints and said the crossing would be repainted within the next two weeks.

He said the council had increased the number of crews tasked with repainting roads from one to four.

"Two of our crews routinely repaint road lines in each ward on rotation," he added.

"Our other two crews will respond directly to feedback from residents and councillors, and zebra crossings are one of the top priorities."

He added that the council's forthcoming budget would demonstrate its commitment to road safety and included proposals to increase funds for road maintenance.

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