The Rye community dial-a-ride bus blocks East Street to all emergency services while its driver enjoys a film at the Kino on Monday night. Should the residents of Church Square need an ambulance or fire services they would be left to their own devices as the vehicles would be unable to get through! Why couldn’t the bus drop its passengers off and find somewhere sensible to park?
When are the authorities going to wake up the dangers of completely unpoliced parking in the citadel and who in authority would be accountable should lives be lost due to this inaction?
Photo: Bea White
Sorry Jeremy White, but I was NOT having fun at the Kino, I had just dropped a passenger home who had had a late appointment at the RMC and was due to pick up another very shortly from that vicinity so parked in Market Street during the gap and attended (for about 10 minutes) the RTC Planning Committee meeting of which I am a member. I was in no way blocking East Street or Market Street – I would not leave my own or a Rye Community Transport vehicle in a place that would cause difficulties for other drivers and especially the emergency services. We may not be emergency service vehicles but we too struggle at times to get through to pick up or drop off our passengers (and the Dial-a-Ride is a bespoke transport service for those with mobility difficulties), often because of poorly or thoughtlessly parked vehicles displaying a blue badge. I would like to remind blue badge holders that when parking they must not cause obstruction to traffic, as did the gentleman who parked his car in Lion Street, with blue badge displayed and an elderly man sitting in the front passenger seat and went off to do his shopping in the High Street. Please also note that blue badges cannot be used at any time in the High Street loading bay (which is only for loading by non goods vehicles between 3pm and 11pm Monday – Saturday but all day up to 11pm on Sundays) and that there can be no stopping, loading, parking for any vehicle (including those with blue badges) on the double yellow lines between the loading bay and the corner of Lion Street – the pavement markings show this. The restrictions on the use of blue badges are quite clearly defined in the handbook which every blue badge holder receives and holders are reminded that blue badges can (and have been) withdrawn for persistent misuse.