18 October - Bexley road issues
As the two hour mark passed and the doormen went off duty there was a move
towards bringing the Transport Users’ Committee meeting to an end and Highways Manager Andrew Bashford did
his bit with a shorter than usual report.
There was nothing new about the proposed Bexleyheath to Erith cycle route. Sadiq
Khan being awkward again by favouring the longer - but potentially safer - route
which cyclists are unlikely to favour.
Salt wardens were briefly discussed. They are supposed to monitor use of a
salt bin and use it sensibly during freezing weather but too often sell it off
to, well I am not quite sure, fellow crooks presumably. What is this country coming to?
The figure of 4,400 potholes fixed in the past year was trotted out again. How
many are repeats I do not know but I expect everyone has seen their favourite
hole repaired and reappear a few months later.
As owner of an electric car for more than eight years which has only twice been
charged away from home, I do not fully understand why anyone without a home
charger would want one. The Government’s idiotic pressure on manufacturers, tax
advantages, green fanaticism perhaps? If I paid for all the electricity used -
and I don’t in summer - my fuel costs would be nearer one penny per mile than two.
Bexley now has 504 EV charging points on lamp posts. Very slow charging points
obviously which would take 20 hours to fully fill my car’s battery. 48 of the 504 have
never been used and the average gets 2·15% usage. Fortunately the costs fall
entirely on contractors, not Bexley taxpayers.
The lamp post points are not associated with EV only parking spaces so they are
frequently blocked by non-EVs. Mr. Bashford said this is because the previous
Cabinet Member would not allow it. Surprising because I once saw him park his
expensive electric car right outside my house! Bexley’s policy is to get as many
charging points installed as possible in the expectation that one should always be available
not too far away. So far this year the 504 lamp posts have seen 12,169 charging sessions.
MoP Rebecca (Jeremy Fosten’s invitee) said her nearest lamp post charging point
is always blocked by a car owned by the adjacent resident who has his own
private driveway. The amount of selfish parking I see around the borough
astounds me. I would have vehicles picked up by a grabber and crushed.
Thames Water continues to wreak havoc on the borough. The
Northumberland Heath, Colyers Lane, Bexley Road, Fraser Road scheme will take up
to three years to complete and the Sidcup, Frognal Corner, Chislehurst Road, Elm
Road and Station Road scheme will take 18 months. Whether from now or from when
it was started last January was not stated.
The serious e-bike incident in Danson Park which
leaves a man in a central London hospital
has
resulted in a ban. Its legality was questioned, a park not being a public
highway to which the law would apply. (I saw an e-scooter user apprehended by
the police on the Danson Underpass yesterday afternoon.)
The Chairman remembered my
comment from three months ago about the direction
sign on Woolwich Road and the nearby traffic light being totally obscured by
overgrowing trees. The Highway’s Manager obviously agreed that it was
unacceptable as his people had approached the land owner who has now been served
notice to trim the trees, The owner insists that it is the Council’s responsibility
to maintain the trees in his garden. Some people are simply nuts, but thanks are
due to Andrew for pursuing the matter.