BC NDP calls out gov’t over lack of communication, repairs on the Lions Gate Bridge
Posted August 21, 2015 12:39 pm.
Last Updated August 21, 2015 12:47 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The official Opposition is calling on the the province and transportation minister to address “the bump” in more than just written statements.
The BC NDP says there has been nothing but a lack of communication and feels what’s happened this week — the bump scandal — is unacceptable, especially for such a large and populated area.
TransLink critic George Heyman wants the minister responsible, Todd Stone, to come out and actually speak about this issue.
“I don’t know how you can make up for people’s lost time but [the province owes] us first an explanation. And if there is some way for the government to make it up to people, they should seriously consider that.”
He adds one solution would have been if the province had given drivers a lot of warning before the work was done and the bump was put in place, so people could have made other commuting arrangements.
“[That would] ensure that the buses or the SeaBus are able to handle the capacity. The City of Vancouver gives lots of advance warning about road work and the province should be able to do the same but simply hasn’t.”
He understands people’s anger at the situation. “What the province needs to do is admit responsibility — admit they could have handled this better — and ensure us that it won’t happen again. If it does, then the people of Metro Vancouver should justifiably be angry.”
Repairs were made overnight to the bump but more are expected tonight and possibly this weekend.
“We regret that the design of the bump that was in place earlier in the week created issues and delays for those using the bridge and we appreciate everyone’s patience as we work to resolve this issue and get the traffic moving more smoothly. Our staff are always mindful of the impacts road work may have on commuters and do their best to deliver the best possible solution to the travelling public,” the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said in a statement.
The ministry has promised to make a rep available to speak to NEWS 1130 about the bump this afternoon.
