Bus crash closes Plumstead High Street
A crash between a Mini and 469 bus has closed Plumstead High Street this morning.
The road – much like the area further along by Plumstead station – is often blighted by poor parking and stopping on yellow lines. It appears that has been a factor today.
The incident is at the junction of Rippolson Road. The Mini appears to be a write-off and is located on paving beside the road. The bus has suffered damage to the front left side. There appears to be no injuries.
https://twitter.com/TfLBusAlerts/status/1094536345056358402
I’m sure most bus users on the road will have stories of being stuck as drivers stop in silly places.
It was a bodged road upgrade – ironically for “bus improvements” – and being held up on the High Street due to poor parking that caused me to stop using buses.
Back to today and reports say parking was again poor with little space for buses and hampering visibility.
Around 130 bus drivers in south east London recently signed a petition calling on Greenwich Council to improve conditions.
After *hundreds* of reports of poor parking and driving over many years that I’m aware of alone, a £10 million budget deficit and failing to use powers open to them for 15 years, only recently have steps been taken with problems including hiring 10 agency staff and seeking approval to use CCTV.
Car park
The High Street also lost half its small car park due to the temporary relation of Plumstead library onto the site as it undergoes upgrade work. Some had argued for the library to be located in empty retail units instead or in Kinara children’s centre now being sold by Greenwich Council – as seen in Greenwich Info:
The sell off of local assets has been controversial as the library upgrade is entirely funded by the local authority. Some had called for external funds to be sought through match-funding which would have lessened the burden on local people.
That approach was taken in Erith where the former Carnegie library has been refurbished (though not as a library) and multiple other upgrades planned as Bexley Council gained match funding through the London Enterprise Partnership – gaining over £10 million in external funds.
Parking illegally is worse on a Sunday because of all the ‘religious ‘ groups in the buildings there.
The anarchy on Greenwich streets will continue until the council starts enforcing parking restrictions. It surely cannot be right that vehicles can park illegally all day and suffer no consequences.
Is there no body before which Greenwich council can be dragged?
It wasn’t the parking, or the buses. Something happened to the driver of the mini and the car drove straight across the road at an angle without deviating.
Greenwich Council should have a look at bexleyheath council and no dare park on their roads during day time should have zero tolerance. But traffic on Saturday is heavy and understandable as people doing their shopping at ASDA.
Bexley go the other extreme though at times. I wouldn’t want people ticketed due to poor signage or a cm outside a line. There must be a middle ground…right? I know, I know – a dream world!