Chatham Two-way Carpark?

The above is an exclusive video of how hundreds of drivers every day have made a mockery out of the hated Chatham road scheme.

The video shows the two car parks between Medway Street and Globe Lane, used as cut throughs by people seeking to miss the CCTV camera's located on the former Sir John Hawkins flyover site at the main junction, which is now a bus, taxi and cycle lane. The car park in the film has no visible speed restrictions and was still being used as a public car park at the time (see padestrian) and whilst the Council gave permission for fitted expensive speed camera's to stop traffic only 100m away from doing the same thing.

The Chatham Road scheme was opposed by Medway tax-payers and residents in the 2007 Local Election. An election where the Medway Conservative Group promised to halt the road development and then did a u-turn after the election. A road scheme that most residents believe has squandered millions of pounds of tax payers money.

The video author states that "I think the only way to stop the 'rat run' is to put a barrier across where the two car parks meet and paint a yellow box on the floor "Emergency Access Only Do Not Obstruct" give a key to the emergency services, this will stop all traffic cutting through whichever way they're coming from. Today I went through from the other way (Medway street entrance) the entrance through the restriction was awkward"

At time of print, the Council may possibly have stopped this route being used as a cut-through. However the mere fact that residents have been, and maybe even continue to use it as a cut through, shows a total lack of thinking and organisation. It is also video evidence that someone [Council?] had placed bollards to restrict traffic flow, with the full awareness that it would have zero effect, as the video shows.

This video shows that Council tax payers money is not being managed well.

The full cost of the Chatham road fiasco [£2.5m] could incidently have funded a 'Medway Freedom Pass' or indeed free bus passes for young residents. Money that could also have been used to improve residential roads across Rochester, Strood, Chatham, Rainham and Gillingham and reduce the number of pot holes.

When your next driving through Chatham, just remember, who is responsible. Medway Conservatives.



For a full history of the Chatham two-way road fiasco and the Medway Labour Group and independent opposition.