Putney Bridge pedestrians 'herded like sheep'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-28336948

Version 0 of 1.

Pedestrians crossing a bridge over the River Thames which is undergoing repairs have said they are being "herded like sheep".

Putney Bridge in south-west London is closed to traffic while it undergoes repairs however one pedestrian path remains open, although this has been cut back for safety reasons.

One commuter said it was so congested it was going to cause an accident.

Wandsworth Council says it has now widened the path.

It has done that by replacing a temporary fence which has legs at the bottom with a permanent hoarding which does not.

Commuter Jim Collins said: "The pavement is narrower now than when the bridge was open.

"It's not wide enough for the volume of people needing to cross it so it is dangerous."

The congestion was made worse on Wednesday morning when the nearby District Tube line went down.

People have been advised to use the nearby train bridge, but this has flights of steps leading up to it so it is not suitable for cyclists or buggies.

The next closest bridge is Wandsworth, about a 30 minute walk away.

A spokesman from the council said the footpath was widened by a couple of feet by replacing the temporary fence.

"We're doing as much as possible to give pedestrians as much extra space," he said.

Putney Bridge will be closed to traffic for three months.