ACTION could be taken to curb speeding traffic at Ashgrove in Musselburgh after worried residents launched a petition about the “dangerous” road.

Mum-of-three Claire Moffat, 40, who lives on Ashgrove Place, just off the busy street, fears there might be a fatality on the route past her home, which links Pinkie Road to Musselburgh Racecourse, and is like “living on a bypass”.

Helped by 15-year-old daughter Lucy, she has gathered more than 140 signatures on a petition from nearby householders and was set to present it to East Lothian Council’s petitions committee last month.

But she withdrew the document after a positive meeting with a council official who discussed potential measures, such as installing long speed bumps and shortening corners, to reduce the speed of vehicles at the Ashgrove and Windsor Park Terrace junction.

Mrs Moffat told the Courier there had been a number of “near misses”, adding: “Motorists just seem to put the foot down.

“Some fly up and down, and go round into Windsor Park Terrace as well. It is a 30mph limit and there is not a sign on the road to tell you. It sounds like you are living on a bypass. There is not even a sign to say it is a school area. Children also cross the road to get to Pinkie St Peter’s Primary School.

“Somebody is going to be knocked down. I am very concerned about the safety of children, elderly people and vulnerable adults. Cats, including two of ours, have been knocked down on the road. It could be a child.

“I think there could be a fatality. Residents also have a terrible time trying to get out of their driveways because of the speed of traffic.

“The road is scary at night time when you are walking along, as the vehicles come really close because they are going too fast.”

She added that residents had fought for the road to be reduced to a 20mph speed limit “for a long time”.

Mrs Moffat said: “The Windsor Park Terrace corner is really wide for the children crossing.

“My neighbour had a near miss one time – a car came speeding round.”

One householder who signed the petition branded the speed of traffic on the road at Ashgrove “outrageous”.

Another resident, who declined to be named, said the problem was exacerbated by parked cars which blocked the sightlines for drivers getting out of Ashgrove Place, a cul-de-sac.

“It is totally blind,” he stressed.

An East Lothian Council spokesperson said: “We have agreed to undertake surveys to gain some evidence on the traffic flows and speeds. We will use automatic traffic counters, attached to the road surface, which will count the number, type and speed of vehicles over a seven-day period.

“We will look at installing these in two appropriate locations along Ashgrove. The data collected from these will help to inform the most appropriate action going forward.”