Thursday 29 May 2008

Blame Clyde Loakes for this



















'Electrician working'. So what's so vital that an electrician has to park on the pavement and block the cycle lane at the Bakers Arms?

Blame Clyde Loakes.

His administrations have installed scores (hundreds?) of hideous illuminated advertising panels across the Borough. They are unsightly, are sometimes blatantly obstructive for pedestrians and are designed to attract the attention of passing drivers (so much for 'road safety'). So why does this crap Council do it? Because these panels make money. But apart from all the issues which relate to the siting of these monstrosities, there is the question of maintenance. The man in this van is doing nothing more than carry out some maintenance on one of these advertising panels. The panel is sited just before traffic turns left off Hoe Street to Lea Bridge Road.

I can't believe the driver shown here couldn't have parked in a side street or in a more sensible location. Instead of which he preferred to park on the pavement AND block the cycle lane, just before a left turn, in a 'no waiting at any time' double-yellow line zone. It's also an offence for a driver to cross a continuous white line protecting a cycle lane. (If you look carefully you'll see there's a gap in the continuity - another symptom of the Council's neglect of its cycling infrastructure - but it's not the full length of the van.)

And I've noticed lately that increasing numbers of these panels - including the one shown here - carry advertising for... the London Borough of Waltham Forest. Which suggests that the Council can't even find businesses which want to use them for advertising. Somebody ought to be investigating the economics of all this.