It was no surprise to learn that Thanet Parkway station only has 300 users per day. I have long maintained that this station is quite simply in the wrong location and that Thanet didn’t need yet another station. We did need, and we still need improvements to the journey time between Thanet and London. It’s irksome that the journey time from Ramsgate station is now even longer….
I was contacted by the BBC for an interview yesterday. I happened to be in Seville visiting the Alcazar Palace Real Alcázar de Sevilla – Única Web Oficial y de Venta de Entradas I was happy to do an interview but the big challenge was finding a suitable spot. One that didn’t have strutting, shrieking peacocks, tourists (like me) or dazzlingly exotic thirteen century tiles! I settled on an ivy covered wall! My chagrin at the ongoing public transport and public services debacle wasn’t tempered by (truly) beautiful surroundings!
It’s a blooming waste of money, isn’t it? Someone should’ve had the cojones to question it! Especially given the current state of public services, which, as we’ve seen via RAAC are in a desperate state.
Even Steve White the Managing Director of Network Rail states in 10 to 20 years time it will have been worth it! Oh well, that’s ok then.
A few points I made to the BBC was the proposal to cut vital youth services in Ramsgate, at the PIE factory and the Pavilion in Broadstairs. These life saving services are a fraction of the cost of a new railway station. KCC has mismanaged the budgets – by investing in this white elephant and they now have to axe services to save money. Or go bankrupt!
One last irritating fact. Residents local to Parkway have complained about noise and irresponsible drivers pitching up late at night to use the car park as a stunt arena! KCC are fixing this. They are set to install 38 sleeping policemen. At a cost to the tax payer of (another) £30,000! It seems to me when it comes to Parkway, KCC will keep throwing money away. But can I get any traffic calming measures in place in Ramsgate? Can I get an urgently needed zebra crossing?
Absolutely no way! Parkway still stinks in my opinion.
Now, back to the delectable Moorish Palace!