18 November - More attempts to cover up their mistakes
Bexley council never learns from its mistakes does it? They make so many that you would
have thought a penny might have dropped by now, but they press on with their
incompetence as if their jobs depend on it, and in a way they do. If they got
things right for a change they might run out of things to waste our money on.
Once again today’s spotlight falls on Abbey Road
which thanks to council stupidity and the toothless councillor Davey failing to act on his
belief that its redesign couldn’t be justified,
is fast developing into an accident black spot. The only problem with Abbey Road was that
it was straight and some lawless people used it as a racetrack and a few would even
overtake on the wrong side of Keep Left bollards. But it was not only straight, it was wide,
which allowed reasonable separation between vehicles and pavement, so it didn’t register
on the council’s radar for being dangerous. In the words of my Transport Research
Laboratory commentator, “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”, but that
doesn’t make work for idle hands or satisfy the politically correct agenda of
people like Andrew Bashford who deceived residents with a restricted and less than truthful
public consultation
and was determined to justify his existence whatever the risk to life and limb.
Needless to say his mad-cap scheme has not in any obvious way slowed the
traffic, but it has predictably caused more impatience which in turn has led to
reckless overtaking and accidents. Today the latest Elastoplast® is being
applied to patch up the expensive mess Bexley council has created. The plastic
Keep Left bollards are being augmented by metal keep left signs mounted on steel
poles. Traditional Keep Left bollards are lightweight plastic shells illuminated
from ground mounted lamps so that in the event of an accident they cause minimal
damage and can be inexpensively replaced. But a proven safety measure is now
being abandoned in a desperate attempt to catch the attention of those
frustrated by Bexley’s latest road design disaster. What makes Bexley council
think that a metal sign will be more effective than an illuminated
plastic one? Ah, my mistake; thinking is not what they do is it? Next time there is
an accident like this we will not only have a
pedestrian’s leg badly injured but his skull will be cracked too as a
steel pole crashes into his head.
Additional notes
Photo 1. A large hole has been dug in the new asphalt
of the left hand pavement to get access to electricity which is conveyed via a
new trench being dug across the carriageway to the existing central reservation.
The old plastic Keep Left signs were (should have been?) already illuminated so
I have no idea why a new power supply had to be taken from the other side of the
carriageway. The new metal keep left sign may be seen above the traffic light
and another in the distance, just to the left of the bus front door. There is
another immediately behind the camera. Simple logic suggests that if a motorist
is so uncaring about road safety that he is prepared to ignore illuminated
plastic Keep Left signs then a metal one will do nothing to mend his ways. It
will however undoubtedly cause additional injury and damage when the metal pole
is demolished. Wouldn’t it be nice if a Bexley council official sat back and
thought for a moment about the problems they create rather than always assuming
that ploughing down the same old furrow, only more so, is the right thing to do.
Photo 2. An alternative view of the extra keep left
signs installed on every pedestrian central refuge. I no longer use them because
to be caught on one brings pedestrians within a foot or two of speeding traffic.
It is safer to cross the whole road in one go. At least that way you have to
look both ways whereas on the refuge one might look only in the direction
painted on the road and find yourself under the wheels of someone so frustrated
by the poor road design that he ignores the basic rule of the road. Keep Left!
Photo 3. The view after the contractors left showing
the new path dug up and concreted in again.
Photo 4. The new concrete around the pole on the island, still wet.
Photo 5. The next island is given the same treatment, as are several more.