ANOTHER motorist has had an expensive brush with the bollards.
This time a driver found the front of his car wrecked after the bollards on St Mary's Gate began to rise as he tried to pass.
A witness said that the motorist had been following a bus to pass through the restricted access road and had to be helped by traffic wardens to push his car off the bollards. The incident comes days after paramedics were forced to answer an emergency call on foot because the bollards on nearby Corporation Street would not retract to let the ambulance through.
The vehicle had to wait while crew treated a woman who had passed out in an Arndale centre tanning salon.
They carried her back to the ambulance so she could be taken to hospital. The bollards are currently under review after concerns were raised over their operation.
A number of system failures have led to several buses and a fire engine colliding with them.
Kevin Gallagher, eyewitness to the latest incident - it happened at 11.25am on Thursday - said: "The car was coming towards Market Street from Deansgate when we heard the bang. It looks like he was following a small bus through the bollards then steam appeared to be coming from the car engine."
Chris Barber, Manchester's head of engineering services, said: "We will be examining CCTV footage to see why this driver has attempted to enter a pedestrian area during the time when traffic is prohibited, as is quite clearly signposted."
Tweet
Bollards strike again
April 21, 2009
Motorist struck bollrds in St Mary's Gate
Showing comments 1 to 11 and replies | View All
Stu it Right, Manchester (21/04/2009 at 09:29)
Guten Tag, Stress Strabe, Manchester (21/04/2009 at 10:41)
MancLadUK, Manchester (21/04/2009 at 10:43)
The bollards have done their job and stopped a motorist who tried to cheat the system! Do the rules not apply to this driver?
They deserve the damage to their car and if there's any damage to the bollards they should pay for them too! And they should pay for any time taken up by traffic wardens who helped them remove their car .
Well done the bollards, they did their job and someone got caught out. It's just a shame that the MEN have reported this in a negative light.
Uncle Buck, Manchester (a United-free city for 99 years) (21/04/2009 at 11:21)
BALL AND BAT, ALL OVER (21/04/2009 at 11:38)
Higgs Boson, Manchester (21/04/2009 at 12:42)
Without these bollards, police parking behavour, bus lanes, speed cameras etc they would be twiddling their thumbs.
Bet they wish the congestion charge was still on the agenda!
grandmabubble, Levenshulme Manchester (21/04/2009 at 12:42)
Paul in Manchester, Manchester (21/04/2009 at 14:39)
cheeky chops, Manchester (21/04/2009 at 16:13)
Well, I'm sure he'll learn never to do it again; stupid driver.
angry harry, sale (21/04/2009 at 18:53)
Maynard Kitchener Lampwick, Manchester , (21/04/2009 at 21:08)
Everyone carrys one nowadays.