‘Geese Crossing’ sign to go up on Bromley Road near Peter Pan’s Pond
Motorists driving along the busy A21 in south London will soon have a new traffic sign to take notice of – one warning them to beware of a family of geese waddling across the road.
Rare moment of mutual respect between our four wheeled, two wheeled and feathered friends pic.twitter.com/u7Xe0h4x8Y
— James Rene (@jungleseal) May 9, 2017
Transport for London have agreed to put the signs up on Bromley Road, Bellingham following a call from local Lewisham councillor Alan Hall who was alerted to the plight of the Canadian geese shepherding their goslings across the road.
Pupils from the St John Baptist (Southend) Primary School council, Phoenix Community Housing and local residents all asked for help to get the geese safely across the road.
“She’s a bold Mother Goose who with her gander bravely guides her goslings over the A21 and they need all the help they can get” said local Bellingham Councillor Alan Hall, who leads the scrutiny function on Lewisham Borough Council.
“I am delighted that Traffic for London have responded to our calls for traffic signs to be erected. It’s a tribute to the resilience and courage of these creatures that they’re crossing such a busy road but they need all the help that they can get.”
YouTube footage shows the Canadian Geese crossing the Bromley Road (A21) from historic Peter Pan’s Pond to lawns around St John’s Church every day. Local historians say that there is evidence that the pond dates back to pre-Anglo-Saxon times.
In a letter to Councillor Alan Hall, Leon Daniels the Managing Director of Surface Transport, at Transport for London says: “In respect of the signage, I’m pleased to say we’ve agreed with LB Lewisham that we will erect some signs (similar to that in the image attached) to warn drivers of the geese crossing and asking them to slow down.
“The works to install the signage will be undertaken within the next two weeks and I hope this goes some way to protect these truly magnificent creatures.”
Read this story in the Newsshopper