31 July (Part 1) - None too bright?
Abbey Road in the vicinity of its junction with St. Augustine’s Road in
Belvedere can be a bit tricky to negotiate. The road is narrow,
reduced to only a couple of feet on one side where parking is permitted, there
are bus stops more or less opposite each other, the middle
white line kinks sharply at one point and it’s on a bend. An accident waiting to
happen as my neighbour discovered when encountering a speeding bus on the wrong side of the road.
It suddenly being a quiet time on Bonkers I thought it was about time I went to study the scene myself equipped with my camera.
Photo 1 shows how the road veers to the left and how cars are forced across the centre line, as do the remaining three photographs. The drivers cannot really be
at fault, it’s just a damn fool road design of the type for which Bexley is renowned.
As it happens, this one has been noticed by Bexley council, there have been four
accidents causing injuries within the past three years. That will be why the
area made an appearance in the Agenda of
the last Transport Users’ Committee and
now the plans have been made public by Mr. Rey, famed for various traffic restriction schemes across the borough.
Traffic islands that
prevent access to residents’ drives, unnecessary
parking restrictions justified by a lie, the farce which is
Ruxley roundabout.
What is he going to do this time to solve a difficult problem? Move the bus
stops? Disallow parking on a blind bend and allow a carriageway that can accommodate a bus? Nope!
Vinney Rey’s idea is to install a couple of traffic islands and surround them with more white lined chicanes. Frying pan to fire springs to mind.
