21 January (Part 2) - A ferry political message at your expense
You
always know when Bexley council is being particularly stupid, or in this case,
wasting our money, when all the morning’s email is on the same subject. People have been getting
a political propaganda sheet through their letter boxes.
Within the past hour or so I have received mine. I think the postman may have delivered it - not sure.
It’s about the Thames river crossings. Bexley council is asking you to support the move
to reduced capacity. Can you believe that? They want to replace the free
Woolwich Ferry with a tolled one at Gallions Reach.
Their reasoning is that it will cost a quarter the price of a bridge and will be
a bit quicker to get going. The sort of short term bodge that this morning’s
Telegraph Business supplement was bemoaning.
According to councillor and London Assembly member
Gareth Bacon a bridge will have ten times the capacity of a ferry. His preferred
solution is not exactly value for money is it? Ten times the capacity for four
times the money satisfying our needs for the 21st century looks like a no brainer to most people.
What it is really all about of course is nothing to do with finding a sensible
solution, it’s all about council leader Teresa O’Neill appeasing a few of her
ward electors who live along a road that may find itself taking more traffic. To
hell with the rest of us who will have to drive to Blackwall or Dartford and the
residents of Greenwich who suffer daily with all us Bexleyites clogging their
roads and choking their children.
Bexley people should take the wider view.
Mr. Barnbrook will be making his customary Freedom of Information request
seeking the cost of protecting Teresa O’Neill’s seat. And from the man who gets
a free Zone 1-6 season ticket courtesy of the people of Bexley comes this…
