I was going to just post this on my 365daysofbiking mini-blog, but this deserves a wide exposure, as I’ m sure there’s a perfectly innocent explanation. Perhaps readers or indeed, the local police can explain this to me. It was recorded at about 6:15pm, Thursday 23rd June 2011.
I’m sure there must be some special dispensation or need for the police to take this route – although they clearly weren’t in a hurry, so I doubt it was an emergency. I find this surprising, as recently there have been a number of press releases such as this one from the WMP press office. I look forward to being suitably enlightened.
Police Crackdown on Town Centre Motorists
16 June 2011
Walsall Police have caught another 25 drivers flouting traffic regulations during a further crackdown at a hotspot in the town centre yesterday (Wednesday 15 June).
During the three hour operation, officers issued a total of 25 fixed penalty fines to drivers who ignored the no right turn from Hatherton Road into Lichfield Street. All drivers caught were also breathalysed as part of the ongoing summer drink drive initiative.
All drivers tested for alcohol were negative.
The operation follows numerous complaints to police by the local community about motorists ignoring restrictions and a number of near miss accidents being recorded.
Insp Simon Rowbotham from the town centre team, said: “This is the fourth operation carried out in recent weeks following a number of complaints to local police and there have also been several near collisions. “
He added: “We want to warn motorists that we will continue to address the priorities highlighted in the town centre by cracking down on drivers who blatantly ignore the restrictions and that anyone caught will be issued with fixed penalty fines.”
He added:” All drivers stopped are also being breathalysed and it was good to see that the drink drive messages are working as all the tests were negative, as they were on the previous operation.”
Further operations to enforce the restrictions in the town centre will be regularly carried out.
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I believe police and other emergency vehicles do have dispensation to enter areas prohibited to other traffic such as parks, one-way streets and pedestrian zones. However, I think this is only allowed when responding to an incident.
Interestingly, a few days before the Lichfield Street right turn clamp down, the force was out ticketing cars and vans driving along the Bridge just before the turn into the main bus station. Good thing too. However, in the time it took me to walk past, two white vans with Walsall Council painted on the side were allowed through unchecked.
Perhaps getting access to Mr Sizzle is the priority here.
I’m fed up of people using the bus lane approaching M6 Junction 10 on Wolverhampton Road West from Willenhall. In rush hour, queues of traffic back up on the normal lane and cars, vans, and lorries hurtle down the inside using the bus lane. Law abiding drivers are then held up for even longer thanks to these queue jumpers, and once at the point where they CAN get in the left lane, the people using the bus lane won’t let you pull in!
The icing on the cake is when I’ve seen police patrol cars sitting the same queue of traffic – IN the bus lane, and NOT while responding to an incident!
If the police or the council aren’t going to enforce these bus lanes, they should be scrapped.
There’s even a bus lane by Mr Tyre on Wolverhampton Road, next to the flour mills, which buses won’t even use! They pull out to avoid the traffic light in the bus lane, and use the main carriageway instead! What is the bloody point of putting a bus lane in if the BUSES aren’t going to use them??
the traffic flow in the town centre is a shambles – have you seen how many drivers
cut through Goodall Street to George Street? or cut through the bus station? or follow the police example and turn right into Lichfield St? or do a U turn at Hatherton Road (outside the CoOp funeral place)? or pretend to turn into Lichfield St from Lower Rushall St only to carry on along the ring road?
Hi Bob
the article “Ghost Town.. by mad old bagage” or something like that..a blog article mentioned in YamYams listings, seems to link in with things here. My last visit to Walsall Town Centre , by car, left me confused and unable to work out the logic of the changes in the road layout . The ring road was much better, though. My last visit by bus convinced me that the former layout and design of the bus station worked better, was safer for the people in the bus station,, and the air was less polluted !
the problems caused by “short-cutting” through the bus station did need to be sorted out, though!
The town centre does seem to have a “down” on private motorists these days. No surprise, then that they take their trade elsewhere more and more.
regards
David Evans
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At 2.15 this afternoon I witnessed a police car use the bus lane and make an illegal right turn into Lichfield Street. The car stopped for the red light at the pedestrian crossing and was not displaying emergency lights or sirens so i assume it was not responding to an emergency. As you have pointed out, there appears to be a “do as we say not as we do” attitude in our local police force.
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