To ask the Minister for Regional Development for his assessment of the future use of zebra crossings on the road network; and whether standards require new or upgraded zebra crossings to be placed on a speed table.

Controlled crossings are provided to facilitate safe and convenient access for pedestrians and cyclists. The legislation governing their installation is The Zebra, Pelican and Puffin Pedestrian Crossings Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006.

The selection of the type of controlled pedestrian crossing to be installed at a given location is dependent upon a number of factors. These include the level of pedestrian demand, the type of road, and traffic volumes and speeds at the location. Zebra crossings tend to be more suitable where pedestrian flows are quite low and traffic speeds are already low, such as in the vicinity of roundabouts.

The Road Humps Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 permit the use of a road hump in connection with a Zebra crossing, but not within the zig-zag road markings on either side of the crossing, and provided that the location of the road hump conforms to the other requirements in the regulations. Where these requirements can be met, there is benefit in providing a road hump as vehicle speeds will be slower on the approach and pedestrians can cross the carriageway at the same level as the footway. One such example of a zebra crossing, used in conjunction with a speed table, is at North Street in Carrickfergus.