Just like the strapline to that lacklustre sequel Poltergeist II: The Other Side, "they're back". And, two years & 26 days after the first rash of yellow street paint, much of Rhuthun/Ruthin again disapproves of Sunday's new road markings, in spite of a full consultation.
Maybe, though, people just need to get a grip.
This time, the yellow peril is about kerb loading flashes, at the top of Well Street and the junction of Wynnstay Road/Well Street.
Rhuthun's a town centre with an indiscriminate parking problem. All sorts of people feel it's acceptable to dump their car or van wherever they like. Leaving aside safety issues, the visual impact this presents is far more serious than any yellow paint designed to mitigate the intrusion. And, let's face it, the markings soon faded after the last application to the point where we'd all forgotten about them.
There are a number of places where parking presents a safety issue. Does anyone expect the highways department to ignore this? There is no wholesale reintroduction of flashes like in 2012 and it would seem that balancing the needs of safety and town centre deliveries was the aim.
For many, the return of yellow is very much black & white. Some are remarkably ill informed. One town councillor said, "The problem is that nobody is prepared to enforce the law any more. If fixed penalty notices were issued regularly it would be more of a deterrent than the yellow lines. The police no longer have an interest." Do these comments need debunking?
• Since the August 2012 lines were hurriedly burnt off, enforcement in parts was all but impossible without straightening out the traffic orders & paintwork, now complete. Over three weeks before the decorators came in, Denbighshire council warned that "full and active enforcement of all on-street parking restrictions in Ruthin will be re-established". Anne Roberts will be pleased but you can bet there will be equally strident squeals of disapproval from those ticketed.
• Fixed penalties certainly are a deterrent but you can't slap a fine on someone if they don't understand where to avoid in the first place. Isn't that why we have yellow markings? How else can the issue be tackled, short of banning all vehicles.
• The police no longer deal with such decriminalised parking offences in Denbighshire and haven't since the early part of this century.
Another town politician described the situation as "chaos". Rather than "confusion" or "anarchy", my understanding of the word chaos, don't the tabs actually promote order?
There were hints that the town centre is less important. "My bigger [parking] concern is the lack of action on Wernfechan", supported by, "The lines we want put down aren't being put down or they're being put in the wrong places."
Wernfechan nevertheless appears to be outwith highways' control. It's one for the government because the A494's a trunk road.
Since 2012, Wernfechan really has become an irritation but is it a safety concern? From nothing back then, there always seem to be parked cars these days, causing delays. And this must surely result in a nuisance for residents who now contend with the noise of gear changes and stop-start traffic.
But, even here, we need perspective. This isn't the centre of Manchester where delays are measured in minutes rather than Rhuthun's seconds. And, if and when yellow lines appear, I wonder where the displaced cars will actually go. Wherever that is, they will cause a nuisance for someone.
Perhaps we're all missing the point, though. We have a roundabout in the centre of town with its wide apron and parking all around it—exactly where pedestrians wish to cross in safety from shop to shop…
The sequel to Poltergeist went down like a damp squib. You watch, so will these new yellow lines.
Maybe, though, people just need to get a grip.
This time, the yellow peril is about kerb loading flashes, at the top of Well Street and the junction of Wynnstay Road/Well Street.
Unlawful and prolonged parking that goes well beyond deliveries. All of Rhuthun knows who the culprits are
Rhuthun's a town centre with an indiscriminate parking problem. All sorts of people feel it's acceptable to dump their car or van wherever they like. Leaving aside safety issues, the visual impact this presents is far more serious than any yellow paint designed to mitigate the intrusion. And, let's face it, the markings soon faded after the last application to the point where we'd all forgotten about them.
There are a number of places where parking presents a safety issue. Does anyone expect the highways department to ignore this? There is no wholesale reintroduction of flashes like in 2012 and it would seem that balancing the needs of safety and town centre deliveries was the aim.
Well Street Flashback to the two weeks when kerb flashes were rampant. The doubling of the yellow lines remain, were painted primrose but have in any case faded
For many, the return of yellow is very much black & white. Some are remarkably ill informed. One town councillor said, "The problem is that nobody is prepared to enforce the law any more. If fixed penalty notices were issued regularly it would be more of a deterrent than the yellow lines. The police no longer have an interest." Do these comments need debunking?
• Since the August 2012 lines were hurriedly burnt off, enforcement in parts was all but impossible without straightening out the traffic orders & paintwork, now complete. Over three weeks before the decorators came in, Denbighshire council warned that "full and active enforcement of all on-street parking restrictions in Ruthin will be re-established". Anne Roberts will be pleased but you can bet there will be equally strident squeals of disapproval from those ticketed.
• Fixed penalties certainly are a deterrent but you can't slap a fine on someone if they don't understand where to avoid in the first place. Isn't that why we have yellow markings? How else can the issue be tackled, short of banning all vehicles.
• The police no longer deal with such decriminalised parking offences in Denbighshire and haven't since the early part of this century.
Another town politician described the situation as "chaos". Rather than "confusion" or "anarchy", my understanding of the word chaos, don't the tabs actually promote order?
There were hints that the town centre is less important. "My bigger [parking] concern is the lack of action on Wernfechan", supported by, "The lines we want put down aren't being put down or they're being put in the wrong places."
Wernfechan nevertheless appears to be outwith highways' control. It's one for the government because the A494's a trunk road.
Since 2012, Wernfechan really has become an irritation but is it a safety concern? From nothing back then, there always seem to be parked cars these days, causing delays. And this must surely result in a nuisance for residents who now contend with the noise of gear changes and stop-start traffic.
But, even here, we need perspective. This isn't the centre of Manchester where delays are measured in minutes rather than Rhuthun's seconds. And, if and when yellow lines appear, I wonder where the displaced cars will actually go. Wherever that is, they will cause a nuisance for someone.
Perhaps we're all missing the point, though. We have a roundabout in the centre of town with its wide apron and parking all around it—exactly where pedestrians wish to cross in safety from shop to shop…
The sequel to Poltergeist went down like a damp squib. You watch, so will these new yellow lines.