Residents of the province of Drenthe feel unsafe when driving near the train station in Assen, it has been revealed, and the square in front of this station is the “winner” in a survey by RTV Drenthe into the most unsafe traffic areas in the province.
In April RTV Drenthe asked for assistance in locating unsafe traffic situations in the province. A total of 433 areas were submitted, and 1,784 votes were cast to decide the “winner”. The station appears twice in the top ten least safe places: in first and third place. In total, four people reported an unsafe area at, or around the station, and these received more than 100 votes.
Many reports were also received about a larger area around the station in Assen, such as the Stationsstraat / Overcingellaan intersection and the Abel Tasmanplein roundabout. In addition, there were several reports about the cycle highway at the station. This is shared with cars in part, for example to reach Catawiki’s parking lot next to the station. “Very dangerous”, one report commented.
“After renewing the Overcingellaan, a racetrack has been made and the pedestrian crossings have been removed. There is no sign indicating the maximum speed or that makes it clear that there is a dangerous crossing. It’s an error from the drawing board,” wrote one contributor.
The municipality of Assen says that the area around the station in Assen is a temporary situation. “We are still busy with the final design of the area. Zebra crossings are now being relocated. Road safety is an important point and therefore we are going to monitor the ongoing situation,” said a spokesperson to RTV Drenthe.
