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 .
Sadly you can’t legislate against irresponsible drivers who are supposedly professional, stick some points on their license and they might think twice about it.
Why would a bus or lorry enter a lane with a sign stating “Unsuitable for HGV” without good reason?
Perhaps Dumb Womans Lane should be renamed Dumb Drivers Lane
Excellent suggestion!
Hazardous & irresponsible to drive a double deck Public Servic Vehicle up Dumbwomans Lane. Saw this happen three times during rail closue for Ore tunnel works.
Thank you James for writing this & raising awareness.
If anyone who knows how to remove this route from SatNav apps or Google Maps – please do!
I think local knowledge helps, drivers around here know what Dumb Woman’s Lane is like. But spare a thought for the rail replacement bus drivers who aren’t local and are presented with a route, presumably by someone in the office who has just consulted Google Maps, to get from Winchelsea station to Rye station by the (seemingly) quickest route. I can’t remember seeing a ‘Not Suitable For HGVs’ sign at the Winchelsea end of the lane and even if there is, there is nowhere for a large vehicle to turn at that point. Added to which the real difficulty of the route is not immediately obvious, until they turn the corner at the bottom of the hill. So they have to proceed – but I can’t imagine any of them attempt it a second time!
I doubt whether it would be possible to remove any road from maps or apps, either for copyright reasons or to provide accurate data for legitimate users. However, there does seem to be a need to flag up a onscreen warning, or perhaps to add a different colour, to mark an access or through route issue. Don’t expect any quick action though!
The rail replacement buses were also a hazard through Winchelsea. Drivers obviously didn’t know the roads and took corners far too wide. I had to go through Pipewell gate to get out of the way on one occasion!
There are signs that say “HGV Do not follow sat nav” or similar.
Cheap and effective
At Ferryfields end of Station Road/A259, the Winchelsea Station sign already reads ‘Unsuitable for large vehicles’. As Tony says, extra standard road signs such as ‘Unsuitable for long vehicles’ are available at roadsignsdirect.co.uk for around £200+vat each but you can also design your own with specific text too such as “Narrow road with bends. Unsuitable for long or wide vehicles. Use A259.” But who would want to contribute to the cost?