16 July (Part 3) - Sadiq makes sense
Despite beginning to feel better after the two week ‘cold’ it is probably best that I do not risk coughing and spluttering in the
tiny room that will be occupied by the Transport Sub-Committee this evening,
especially as one of my own contacts scored two red lines on his Covid test kit.
A pity because Transport is the one thing that should interest every
Bexley resident with very few exceptions. A double pity because as well as the usual
Agenda items there is a proposal by TfL to improve
the SL3 bus route. I quite
frequently drive the SL3 route as far as Bickley station - I did so earlier
today - and can imagine the frustration felt by bus drivers because of the interminable
congestion, much of it artificially created by Councils; when it is not made
worse by Thames Water. The Chislehurst station area is more or less permanently
affected, one leak after another. Same this morning.
To call the SL3 an Express bus route must be one of Sadiq Khan's biggest bad jokes,
and there have been many. However he wants to do something to help SL3 passengers. Credit where it is due!
On his Ideas List is a review of parking in Arbuthnot Lane, Bridgen
Lane, Faraday Avenue, Footscray Lane, Hurst Lane, Hurst Road, New Road, Parkhill
Road, Pickford Lane and Woodland Way. All on the SL3 route. Too often Wilkinson style parking
impedes progress. Bexley Council, which, despite its
protestations to the contrary, is not a lot less spiteful towards motorists than
its Socialist neighbours and one of its favourite tricks is to install central
pedestrian refuges opposite bus stops so that if a bus stops everyone stops.
That is a long way from being SuperLoop friendly and Bexley’s idiocy has come back to bite it. (See also
19 June 2016 and
18th December 2022 to name but two.)
However the big proposal is for Knee Hil otherwise known as the A206. Mayor Khan wants to
make it safe. Bexley Council you may bet your life will want to keep it dangerous.
Only a couple of months ago I suggested to the Cabinet Member for potholes that it would be
fairly easy to transform Knee Hill into a proper A road without any
significant impact on the surrounding woodland. The subject has been mentioned on BiB
many times since 2013.
A
small photo feature too.
He said it is never going to happen.
This is the same Bexley Council which killed off Ken Livingstone’s bridge in 2010
by emulating its favourite earthbound bird; the ostrich. The borough has paid
the price in terms of reduced economic growth and inconvenience ever since.
Why? Will Bexley Council once again lie about what residents want and make up statistics as they did with
the Thames Crossing Consultation?
Is there anyone on Bexley Council who has the brain power to see that even if a
handful of trees are lost where the road needs its kinks straightened out, it
will make not a twig of difference to the massive extent of the 73 hectare woodland.
(Picture below only a small portion of the woods.)
Only the SL3 is planned for Knee Hill. The B11, 301 and 469 will continue to use
New Road.
