5 November (Part 1) - Five four three two one : £80!
If you were born lucky you may have been driving past Abbey Wood Sainsbury’s at twelve minutes past eleven yesterday morning because for
just a minute or two the road that has been a stop go bottleneck for the past month was completely clear of obstructions.
Bexley’s contractor was moving on to work on the eastern carriageway. More
blocks; however to the surprise of many they have done their best to avoid
further congestion. Traffic is being allowed to squeeze carefully by in both directions.
It probably doesn’t help pedestrians trying to cross the road and one must hope
that drivers respect the decision made in their favour. The sound of hooting at
drivers who were being careful and respectful to pedestrians earlier today suggests that many
will fully live up to local expectations.
Work
continues on adjacent roads too. To the south of the station
Gayton Road remains
unfinished despite its end of January completion date and to the north
Felixstowe Road which should have been completely rebuilt by September makes the usual slow progress.
There are however many signs that the project must be approaching its end game. The road
surface is complete (but the scheduled reopening date passed a month ago).
Other signs of completion are the parking signs. You must be using a taxi, a
disabled badge or capable of nipping into the shop and out again within five minutes to be allowed to stop anywhere near the station.
There is no doubt a parking problem. Gayton Road and its pavements have become a long term car park, the worst I observed was for three days.
All without penalty despite the opportunity for Bexley Council to make a PCN
killing. They can’t even get a CEO down there daily. Are they really proposing
to station one in Felixstowe Road all day long to enforce their five minute
restriction? Is Bexley a suburb of Cloud Cuckoo Land? (Please don’t answer that one.)