Double yellow lines for Ascots Lane allow ambulances to get past
September 10, 2008 11:09 PM
Paramedic shows Malcolm Cowan how parking is causing congestion in Ascots Lane. Photo: Malcolm Cowan.
Double yellow lines have been painted along Ascots Lane, at long last. Ascots Lane in WGC has always had problems from the overspill of cars parking from the QE2 hospital.
This got worse after Welwyn Hatfield Council installed posts to stop people parking on the grass verges.
But drivers continued parking on both sides of the road making it impossible for ambulances to get through during congested times, as traffic could only go in one direction at a time, because of the narrow gap that was left.
Only after the ambulance service went to the press with the long-standing problem was action taken. The lines were painted the following week.
But even after the decision was taken, no-one told the ambulance staff - that was left to LibDem Councillor Malcolm Cowan, who had already organized a ride-along with paramedics who showed him how important the traffic problem was because it was causing delay to ambulances and putting people's lives at risk.
He said, "It is excellent news, but I find it despicable that it's taken this long. Clearing the way for the emergency services should have been a high priority."
However, he recognized that traffic would just clog up in another street.
Said Malcolm:
Expensive car park with plenty of spaces while traffic congestion in local roads threatened lives by delaying ambulances.
"The hospital needs to play a part. It's been collecting money for 20 years.
"They are changing staff for parking and there aren't enough spaces for them. In addition, the car park charges for people visiting or dropping off sick relatives has added to the problem; the visitor car park is often half empty (see photo) because people won't pay the charges, especially when they don't know how long they will be there, and could get fined as a result."
"It's time the Tory Borough council got their act together and co-operated more often with the County Council to get these things solved. Too often they end up simply shifting the blame and nothing gets done."
Now local residents in the closes off Ascots Lane face traffic influx from overspill parking. "This is madness", says Malcolm, "the problem has only been shifted. The council has still not resolved this issue."
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