Thursday 16 November 2006

Road Works Part 276

To day I took over a bus at 10:11 in Torquay heading for Newton. As I was making myself comfortable I heard an other driver on the radio report delays on the road into Newton due to road works. Just what I needed to hear. By the time I got to Penn Inn and past the problem I was 10 mins late, not too bad, it's quiet soon make that up. Then as I got nearer the bus station I realized there were more road works and these were much worse. Now in London when road works were planned the council put notices up a week before saying, "Road Works, Find an other route." They also switched off pedestrian traffic lights and had council officials standing around to make sure the contractors managed the traffic problems properly. Not here. The temp traffic lights go up and that is it, take it or leave it. So on the way to the bus station one of our buses was going the other way, well pointing the other way is more accurate. I asked the driver, a lady called Mary how long she had been there,"Half an hour." Yea sure, have your little joke my dear. 40 mins later I got to where Mary and I had spoken, Usually it would have taken 10 mins.

So if you were waiting for a bus today, it wasn't our fault. One day maybe some one in the council office will read the manual on how to manage road works. Published in 1967 I believe.



Still it did give me chance to take a few photos of Newton Abbot which I don't usually get. Bit of a mixture off styles here.

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