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Chiswick High Rd on ITV London News

A view of an ambulance stuck in traffic on Chiswick High Rd featured briefly at the start of the early evening ITV London News tonight while a paramedic spokesman discussed the dangers of many of the road changes around London.

Michael David Rowe ● 2174d26 Comments

Buses are now doing very frequent driver change overs presumably stress related.This has never happened before with the E3 outside TG Station and it causes hold ups whilst waiting for new driver to arrive after struggling to get there through traffic.One day when the new driver arrived the previous one got off the bus and sat down at the shelter, visibly shaking and every time there is a change over it is obvious that there is understanding and sympathy between the drivers including lady drivers.The same keeps happening with the 272 drivers and particularly when they are picking up school children who don’t wear masks and are busy with their phones.

Rima Jones ● 2173d

What a surprise. Chiswick High road is currently total chaos with traffic after the council lovingly cut of a third of the road for cyclists not even using it.

chris poole ● 2173d

Rima, the E3 always used to change drivers on the High Road - I could never see where they came from or went to as there is no obvious facility for them - I just assumed they hung out in Starbucks or somewhere! I wondered what they would do with the arrival of the cycle lane and you have answered that. I haven't used the E3 or 272 for weeks as it's now completely impossible to estimate how long a journey would take. I do feel sorry for the crews.

Bruce Hammal ● 2173d

Unfinished cycle lane.  With a bit of luck the publicity will keep many unnecessary drivers away and get others to check and rearrange their routes.

Philippa Bond ● 2173d

Fair point Philippa, time will tell. However I think you'll have to elaborate on "unnecessary drivers".

Bruce Hammal ● 2173d

I'm definitely one of those Unnecessaries!  Aged, highly vulnerable but able to drive and park close to chosen shop or row of shops but that was in the good old days when I could get from Grove Park and back within an hour!  ANYWHERE now is better than attempting to get anywhere north of the A4 and spend hours stuck in traffic jams.

Jennifer Selig ● 2173d

Indeed, the question of unnecessary is an interesting one with many levels. If you elderly like Jennifer, or have other health and mobility issues, is that allowed? Trying to get to Chiswick health centre if ill? Even if you use a shared resource like Uber is that still bad. Should we ask permission first? High road still very slow and long eastbound queues today. Much is buses, trade and commercial delivery vehicles. Are they unnecessary? The real problem in W4 is through traffic. Mapping apps will take people through W4 as long as it is quicker than the major roads. So W4 needs to be sufficiently congested for these already busy and congested routes to be faster. So what you get is a levelling off of queues and congestion across all routes. This includes the remaining few routes that Hounslow has not closed but are now subject to more traffic. Hundreds of local residents could shift to bikes and have no real impact on this broader mass of traffic. Plus of course buses are the huge losers, despite being the most effective mass transit other than the tubes.

Paul Green ● 2173d

And many of those, who some people think to really be 'unnecessary drivers' may consider to change... but they will not quit driving. They will drive elsewhere and spend their money in other places - where one can drive and park. But - hey - caring about local businesses is very low on the priority list nowadays.

Alex Shpinkov ● 2173d

Today there was an E3 driver change over at TGStation. Then the bus inched forward before stopping at pedestrian crossing. Then a few more inches before having to stop because a lady car driver who had been coming through from CHR decided to turn round and go back.So we sat there fascinated whilst she was trying to work out how to do it.All traffic had to stop including E3 coming through the other way, a truck collecting rubbish from businesses and of course more cars.Then stop again because there was a problem getting passed Mackens vans which have to be parked there because there is no rear access.A few more inches before the temporary traffic lights and a young cyclist decided to overtake the bus on the inside, glaring at the driver as if the bus shouldn’t have been there.She then wasn’t going to bother with the red lights and crossed over in front of the bus and onto the pavement outside Snappy Snaps and then along the pavement towards M&S.No she wasn’t wearing a helmet either.The new E3 driver looked as if he’d already had enough of it.

Rima Jones ● 2173d

You can spot someone in favour of these changes by their posts can’t you. No shame , no sympathy for the devastation being caused.

Maggie Dodge ● 2173d

Very good point. Those in favour are totally selfish, only thinking of themselves. It's not as if cyclists couldn't use the roads before - and, as has been pointed out here many times before, most cyclists aren't using the new cycle path now, but continuing on the other side of the road and on the pavement.Maybe some really do think all of us driving around Chiswick are making unnecessary journeys that could be just as easily carried out on foot or by bike, rather than ferrying kids to school or activities, or indeed transporting items to work.The thing that irritates me the most is I never had a problem with cyclists on our roads - I was always courteous, observant, and gave priority whenever possible or appropriate to do so, but now I am so angry about all this stress and anger that is being caused by such a minority of people.

Mark Edwards ● 2172d

No Jennifer the unnecessaries I'd expect to be on the A4 driving straight out of London following their satnavs while there are roadworks on both CHR and Acton Lane.  I'm not sure that you have a satnav.  We should be avoiding the number of trips out if we can.  Since only essential shops are supposed to be open that should be reducing car journeys even more. It was said that in other countries who had the pandemic before us that when it subsided there were more people in cars than on public transport.  Many more people have now discovered other ways to work and there are companies which have said they will not be going back to working in offices the way that they were.

Philippa Bond ● 2172d

I think we should all be encouraging everyone who may be eligible for a blue badge to check it out and not be stoical and dilatory in applying and reapplying and with help from eg Age UK if necessary. Also ensure that the Council has blue badge spaces available.

Philippa Bond ● 2172d

The cycle lane is not finished.  Our children should be able to safely cycle to school and selfish drivers are making this difficult.

Philippa Bond ● 2172d

Philippa, have you any idea how hard it is to get a blue badge?There is a wide gulf between being registered disabled and just no longer being able to walk or cycle everywhere. Please don't post a link to some centenarian on a cargo bike....

Bruce Hammal ● 2172d

Other ways to work from between 1 to 50 miles - do you mean the star trek evaporator machine? That's just silly  Philippa. I used to have to commmute to Beaconsfield everyday to be there for 9 am often carrying presentations for clients.  Only a nutter would do that on a bicycle.

Claire Moran ● 2172d

Exactly Bruvmce. Philippa lives in some ethereal never-never land.

Claire Moran ● 2172d

Nobody has said everybody has to cycle - or cycle every day.

Philippa Bond ● 2172d

Yes.  To get a blue badge took a long time and it was difficult to get FIL one.  He should have applied for it years before but didn't want to.  He wouldn't have been able to cope with all the taking of photographs and finding and copying of documents anyway by the time it was desperately needed. It made it much more difficult for us to take him to hospital appointments not having one and easier with one.  If you don't go to hospital appointments you get chucked off the list.  Two of us had to take time off work to travel to his home and accompany him.  He was registered blind.  It is very important to keep up with audiology and opthalmology appointments - sight and hearing are senses and they both enhance memory.  People don't like it when they can't remember things - or when other people can't.

Philippa Bond ● 2172d

I think you'll find that certain people have - that's precisely why other people are so pee-d off!

Bruce Hammal ● 2172d

So you drove your relative to various hospital appointments Phillipa? How would you feel if someone suggested your journey was unnecessary? Have you tried getting to an appointment recently. Some people have missed two because of the road closures and been discharged because of those missed appointments

Maggie Dodge ● 2172d

Philippa please explain how children will be able to cycle safely on a bi-directional cycle lane which will accommodate cargo bikes and e-scooters? And, no doubt, e-bikes traveling upwards of 20mph. Good luck.

David Lesniak ● 2172d

There is a new dual way cycle lane along Boston Manor Road. It is finished. And has been in operation for probably a year. Still there are a lot of cyclists there who elect not to use it but to ride with other traffic. Do you think it will be different in Chiswick?As for "our children should be able to safely cycle to school and selfish drivers are making this difficult."(a) children are allowed to cycle on the pavement which is safe.(b) drivers do not make cycling difficult. In fact it is inconsiderate cyclists who make cycling for others, driving and walking difficult.

Alex Shpinkov ● 2172d

Years ago now, not in Chiswick and appointments weren't every day or every week. That is exactly what I mean about necessary journeys and being discharged.  Hospital transport used to be an option once and that is fine if there isn't a pandemic and you are not so elderly and/or don't need accompanying.  It can also be why some local clinics can work better.

Philippa Bond ● 2172d

"I used to have to commute to Beaconsfield everyday to be there for 9 am often carrying presentations for clients.  Only a nutter would do that on a bicycle."Ah, but think how fit it made you ;-)

Richard Greenhough ● 2172d

Were the cycle lanes for children? it's accepted that children cycle on the pathway, we always had to walk to school, apparently there are adult cyclists that will not use a cycle lane on a main shopping area because they don't want to be seen by cameras !this was new to me and was my nephew who point this out to me, so this puts quite a large group of people using the pavements, not moaning about it as many of them will be children but it's good to know why the lanes are not being used.

Janice Evans ● 2172d