1 February (Part 3) - The Transport Users’ Committee - Journey 6
For a relatively short meeting the Transport Users’ covers a lot of ground but the Road Safety report did not produce a great deal of interest. Serious injuries are up “by a large percentage” (64%) but the actual numbers are low so a good run over the next two months may bring things back on track. If there is a single reason for the increase it is car drivers. The child injury figures remain good.
Councillor
John Davey reported that residents were saying the arrangements put
in place for the Cray bridge replacement in Bexley were “very dangerous”. Road
design engineer Andrew Bashford was asked to respond.
The zebra crossing under the railway bridge was closed and people dodged across the road between queuing traffic
while drivers were looking at the red light and moving off on the green without seeing them. Not good.
To counter it a signal controlled pedestrian crossing had been added to the temporary bridge
lights which would have an adverse effect on traffic queues of about 15 seconds per cycle.
Mr. Elwyn Bryant who lives nearby has supplied these photographs.
While school parking and crossing patrols were up for discussion it was suggested that teachers could provide some
help. Cabinet Member John Fuller said he had pursued that idea
and none of the teaching staff was interested in helping. “We have contacted
every single school but had no responses in a positive manner.”
Exactly the same
response the police experienced when asking for help with Broadway school bus problems.
Chairman Val Clark said she had seen parents do the most amazing things outside
schools, dropping them in the road and placing them at risk. “They don’t seem to
care.” No teachers, she said, are interested in being trained as relief crossing
patrols, “we just can’t get them to do it”. They are probably the same ones that
Councillor Alan Downing suggests
train children to fail their 11 plus exams
because their political views oppose it.
Strange that the child accident statistics remain low.