11 May (Part 2) - Creating chaos while making money
I
am a pretty cautious sort of chap, I’ve been driving for 55 years and not been
sent a single parking fine or speeding fine. The only time I was ever stopped by
a policeman was in deepest Wales where an old lady had missed the only bus of
the day and he asked me to give her a lift into town.
But it doesn’t stop me believing that Councils paint the roads yellow because
they are after your money and in nearly every case it has absolutely nothing to
do with safety.
Bexley is banking on raising half a million a year from its Welling cash cows.
(Thanks to Finance Director Alison Griffin for letting the cat out of the bag.)
Despite my care I was caught in a yellow box junction for far too long exactly
two weeks ago today. I was at a crossroads in Newham and wanted to turn right,
which I thought would be OK. As I moved off an amber gambler shot across in
front of me and stopped more or less where I had planned to go. He then calmly
got out of his van to unload a parcel. So there I was stuck where I felt I
shouldn’t be for far to long.
My friend
Mr. Mustard who runs a website
about such things and how Councils all over London abuse and entrap motorists
assured me that I couldn’t possibly be done for what happened and I haven’t
been, but what if I had decided to free up the junction by turning off my right
indicator and going straight ahead?
The whole system, as implemented by unscrupulous Councils, is deliberately designed to be unfair.
There are three yellow box junctions in Welling all within the space of 100 metres or thereabouts. On bends too.
You come across the first one and it is not until you are almost upon it that you can see what lies ahead.
Then there is a bus stop sandwiched between the next two yellow boxes.
Last Friday what lay ahead for me was two 51 buses, one behind the other. One
had broken down. There was space to pass them but it was quite impossible
to see if the junction ahead was clear. So everyone had to sit there like
lemons until one bus moved off which was several minutes.
Yellow box junctions and buses cause chaos in Bexleyheath on a daily basis.
If you are in Danson Road heading for Brampton Road via Crook Log and Danson is
congested, those in the know cut through the back streets to Upton Road to avoid it all and then
head left back towards Crook Log.
It creates a constant stream of traffic so that those emerging from Broadway do
not stand much chance of making progress. If the first vehicle in the queue is a bus the driver
stands no chance and why should he risk a fine?
He can just sit there creating pollution for as long as it takes. Why should he
care about also creating a queue all the way back into town?
And why should Cabinet Member Alex Sawyer care either? You lot keep electing him.