East Sussex Highways says there’s no more they can do to stop large vehicles using Dumb Woman’s Lane in Rye. In recent weeks buses and trucks carrying aggregate have brought the single-track lane to a standstill and damaged power cables. Residents are now calling on satnav companies to remove the road, which is signed “unsuitable for large vehicles”, from their machines.
In the latest incident, a double decker bus on the rail replacement service closed the road with one resident telling Rye News she had seen the satnav instructions for herself: “The very shaken bus driver with shocked passengers onboard told me his company-prescribed satnav sent him this way! He even showed me the satnav on his windscreen.”
Dumb Woman’s Lane links Udimore Road in Rye with Winchelsea and has few passing places. Signs at both ends of the road warn drivers about the road’s unsuitability for lorries, vans and buses, but residents say they just don’t work. “Local drivers know the lane only too well, but to meet one of these large vehicles is unacceptably dangerous.”
Better signage and restrictions, particularly on Tanyard Lane in Winchelsea, are unlikely to happen said a spokesperson for East Sussex Highways. “Whilst we are aware of the concerns raised about large vehicles using Dumb Woman’s Lane, we have a finite amount of funding to develop local transport improvements, including installing additional road signs, and need to ensure that we target our resources where they will be of greatest benefit to our local communities. Our assessment is the current signage is appropriate for this location.”
The spokesperson continued: “It is important to note that large vehicles may need to access a narrow road if they have a legitimate reason to do so, such as providing a rail replacement bus service or delivering to residential properties or businesses.”
Residents say their only option now is to work with the satnav companies, with one resident already in contact with the company used by the rail replacement service. “We only know what HGV drivers tell us. They say the satnav sent them this way and they didn’t see a sign. Removal of Dumb Woman’s Lane from the satnavs is now the best option with no cost to local authorities.”
Image Credits: Rye News library .