28 February (Part 2) - Snow is not just fun for skiers it also leaves Bexley’s needy uncared for
The
havoc wreaked by gritting failures can be a matter of life or death as this impassioned message from a reader shows. Snow is not all
fun and games on the ski slopes.
Bexley Council has demonstrated its incompetence today, gritting main routes is
fine but then leaving side streets and pavements without hand gritting is just sheer neglect.
Telling people not to go out unless it’s urgent doesn’t help those with hospital
appointments or doctor’s appointments or who lose money if they don’t work.
The domiciliary care workers for those in need at home who flit from site to site and need public
transport to get to their clients.
One service has today had to tell their clients that they won’t have a carer
today because of this. While another dedicated carer managed to get a bus from
Woolwich to Bedonwell Road and struggled to a house two miles away on foot to
get there for seven to get the client up, showered and breakfasted.
Then was left stranded and unable to get to their next clients due to the lack
of bus services and the dangerous condition of the pavements - so had to walk home.
Other councils around the country in worse conditions than ours (Kirklees for
example) managed to do both roads, side roads and pavements to the grateful
thanks of their elderly people who needed to be out and about.
When Bexley can deliver a service like that they might be fit to be called a Local Authority.