IT’S A transfer that even Dick Dastardly would approve of: pigeons have been stopped from doing their business on pedestrians utilizing a Newtown bridge.
Earlier this yr, Network Rail spent three months refurbishing the historic railway bridge on the A4 London Road. It is the boundary between Reading and Wokingham and the works precipitated delays for motorists utilizing the primary route out and in of the city centre.
It can also be a busy route for pedestrians and cyclists heading to Earley, Thames Valley Park or close by colleges.
For years, these on foot have needed to tread gingerly as they go beneath the bridge, as pigeons would roost within the bridge’s steelworks and there was nobody, reminiscent of Dick Dastardly within the basic cartoon, aiming to cease the pigeon.
This meant pigeon droppings would fall from an excellent top, bringing not a stroke of luck, however an almighty mess.
Park ward Green celebration councillor Rob White was a kind of affected, and stated it was one thing that Newtown residents had raised regularly with him, calling for motion on the feathered buddies – be it nab them, jab them, tab them or seize them. They didn’t thoughts so long as they stopped that pigeon now.
He didn’t, nonetheless, name on Mutley to achieve a medal, or hope that Clunk invented a thingamabob to save lots of the day. And nor did he count on a Zilly from Wokingham Borough Council to sneak up and catch them.
Instead, he obtained in contact with Network Rail once they carried out the work they usually have been pleased to take affirmative motion, by putting in anti-pigeon netting and cleansing the pavements.
The footpath is now away from pigeon droppings, which means pedestrians don’t should walk in guana or fear about having to scrub themselves up after an accident from above.
While uncommon, it’s potential to contract pigeon-related ailments from their droppings. Ornithosis, Listeria, E-coli and different pathogens might be discovered of their mess.
However, the netting doesn’t go all the best way throughout, so drivers could also be affected by the occasional little bit of business from the pigeons who at the moment are resting within the beams over the highway.
Cllr White, who can also be the chief of the opposition on Reading Borough Council, stated: “We have been elevating pigeons roosting underneath the London Road rail bridge and crapping on the pavement for a while.
“It was a resident who first raised this with me.
“Wokingham would clear up the mess however not very regularly.
“We raised it with Network Rail quite a few occasions however didn’t get a remaining reply on what they have been going to do.
“However I was delighted to see that as part of the recent works to paint the bridge they installed anti-pigeon netting over the pavement. I went and had a look and this seems to have done the trick as the pavement was looking much better.”
A Network Rail spokesperson stated: “We take our affect on the atmosphere and our native communities severely.
“We regularly inspect the condition of our infrastructure including deterrent measures such as the pigeon netting underneath London Road bridge and we’re pleased to have made a difference to pedestrian safety with this small change.”
