Well, the recently replaced bollard at the Landgate didn’t last long!
This 40’ six-wheeled trailer did for two of them at 11:15 this morning, this time witnessed by two traffic wardens.
Obviously, vehicles of this size should not be trying to negotiate the Landgate, let alone what happens if they get to the High Street, but when faced with signs like these (6’6” width limit turning left onto Landgate, NO width limit turning right through the arch, and a sign indicating The Town Centre) it’s no surprise that they try.
It’s only a matter of time before there is serious damage to the Landgate, resulting in its closure to all vehicles and pedestrians alike!
Image Credits: Jim Wood .
It’s up to shops to make sure that delivery companies are aware of the restrictions…. Clearly some drivers don’t have the brains (I am a delivery driver…)
Well Harry, maybe you can explain what the road sign means.
If it indicates that there is a 6′-6″ width restriction to the left, you wouldn’t be surprised that the delivery driver tried to turn right.
If it indicates a 6′-6″ width restriction both ways, where was the delivery driver supposed to go?
(Previously, I took photos of a French lorry driver trying to turn right. I doubt that he knew what 6′-6″ meant. SI units, metres, were adopted in this country from Europe in the 1970’s)
If the bollards were not there presumably the lorry would have damaged the town wall/ gate – so in fact the bollards did what they are supposed to !
Unfortunately, my photo of the relevant sign wasn’t included with the article. It shows a 6’6” width limit to the left (down Landgate) and a 13’6” height limit to the right, but no width limit, thus positively encouraging over-width vehicles to turn right!
Thanks Jim Wood, I have now looked at the sign on the side of the Art Shop by Devonport House. It is clear that the width limit applies to turning left. It is a circular prohibition sign. The lorry driver and the driver of the large lorry that I photographed in November 2021 (Rye News 4th November) we’re correct to obey the sign and try to turn right. No doubt their intelligent sat nav’s told them to turn right.
In both cases it proved impossible for them to turn right and get through Landgate, so both had to contravene the traffic Regulation!
As a matter of interest buses are greater than 2M wide. Do the drivers contravene the Regulation regularly/daily?
This situation must be wrong! Thank you for noticing the anomaly. Hopefully this Rye News article and its comments will be read by the highway authority.
Sadly not, since the lorry simply ran over the bollards and only stopped when it couldn’t get through the arch!
A simple solution would be to narrow the entrance in front of the arch, widen the path on the right hand side and raise the path, that would be the best deterrent to stop articulated lorries accessing the Citadel.
Problem is John that fire engines are the same wipth.
Tony it’s not the width of these articulated lorries but the length of them, increase a raised pavement on the right hand side of the arch and they would not be able to negotiate the arch, whilst fire and emergency vehicles would still be able too,with careful manoeuvring.
I have to ask if the traffic wardens issued any form of penalty?
Plus there is no requirement to display width limit signs in metres.
Do such signs in Europe have imperial values – of course not.