CENTRAL AVENUE – MOST LAWLESS ROAD
The pedestrianisation of Central Avenue was heralded as a victory for pedestrians and a bright new future. Why is it then, that as I sit with coffee at a pavement café, I count countless law breakers entering the 7am until 7pm curfew for cars?
There is a flagrant disregard for the law and the restrictions and no entry signs are abused by countless motorists, vans and lorries, not to mention the cyclists who think they are beyond the law.
I have written to Rushcliffe Borough Council and Nottinghamshire Police with my facts, but six months later have not had a reply from either.
I have spoken to police on Central Avenue and the plastic policemen (the community officers), who neither seem to care or who are bothered.
Perhaps the community should take things into their own hands, as our protectors of the law seem disinterested in upholding the law. A simple CCTV camera would rake in thousands of pounds a year, but there has to be a desire.
I challenge you to undertake a survey of the incidents, my own revealed 25 in one single hour. Why is nobody interested?
Alan Burton
West Bridgford
Alan Burton is quite right to condemn the countless law breaking drivers on Central Avenue.
However, he is quite wrong in including cyclists in this condemnation. He obviously is not aware that cyclists have been allowed to use the Avenue in both directions since it was pedestrianised about 10 year ago. This followed much lobbying by Pedals during the consultation on the plans.
This exemption, along with the extensive provision of cycle parking in the area, is much appreciated, and a good way of encouraging cycling.
Whilst there are restrictions to traffic on Central Avenue, I wonder if Mr Burton is aware that Special Access Permits are issued to allow disabled drivers to park in the marked bays. This may affect his statistics, though I fear it would not be a significant change. The permits are bright green and easily spotted, though perhaps not so from a pavement cafe seat.
Pedestrianisation seems to me an odd term when there are so many allowed to use the Avenue: Police and Emergency Vehicles: Public Transport: Cyclists: Permit Holders: Commercial Vehicles delivering to shops.
I am a disabled driver with a Special Access Permit , which allows me to enter areas like Central Avenue. I join with Mr Burton in his condemnation of the flagrant flouting of the restrictions and have spoken to various officers about this. The responsibility for policing the scheme lies with the Traffic Wardens, not the Police. The Wardens are controlled by Rushcliffe BC, so you should lobby them to get the budget to appoint more wardens and give higher priorities to patrolling Central Avenue. When they do target the abuse of the scheme, it has a marked effect, but the patrolling seems to be too infrequent and sporadic.