A Word In Your Ear - December 20, 2018

Is there anyone left in Blackpool, outside of its town hall, who still believes the new tramway works are a good idea? Will our council please remind us again why we are spending all this money while undergoing years of civic misery?
Roy EdmondsRoy Edmonds
Roy Edmonds

The disruption to provide a tram link from Blackpool North rail station to the Prom has been going on so long most people have forgotten how to get around their once-busy resort.

At the same time, buses have been rerouted and lost their usual stopping points in the town centre, so no one knows where to catch one. Most locals decide it’s better to simply stay out of town and leave it to the visitors. Except, of course, those are scarce – since rail travel has been disrupted for electrification, while in a car they face a dizzying maze of diversions.

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No, it’s all hopeless and chaotic. Last week I huddled across a deserted St. John’s Square in a freezing gale, to visit our indoor market and a couple of popular real-ale pubs – all trying to be festive but, for the most part, unseasonably quiet.

These days we don’t even like travelling elsewhere. We’ve only driven once on a motorway in the last three years, then found the congestion and - when we did get moving - speed both terrifying. What’s more, everyone drives far too close to each other – as there’s not enough space for them all. Just as well we were crawling along.

How much better if we all left our cars at home and used efficient, plentiful and cheap public transport!

But, hang on a minute – isn’t that what this new tram link is for? Well, bring it on, I say - if not for this New Year then the next or, well, perhaps the one after that . . .

* For Roy’s books, on Kindle or in paperback, visit royedmonds-blackpool.com.