FREE PARK AND RIDE FOR CHRISTMAS

ELSTOW PARK AND RIDE SERVICE FREE DURING DECEMBER

Just to remind you all that you can use the Elstow Park and Ride Service free during the whole of December. Also Christmas shoppers can park free in Bedford Town Centre car parks on 19, 20, 22 and 23 December. These measures have been introduced by Bedfordshire County Council and Bedford Borough Council to help Christmas shoppers and small businesses fight the Credit Crunch.

BEDFORDSHIRE POLICE

My blogging colleague Andrew McConnell has criticised Bedfordshire Police in Blogging for Bedford over the recent crime wave in Bedford. While I agree with much of what he says, I must praise our local Police Beat Manager, Guy Steel-Jessop and his 2 PCSOs Lisa and Emily for providing a good local police service to the residents of Elstow and Wilstead.

Recently we have had a spate of rural crime, with thefts from farms and sheds in Wilstead but after some good detective work, drawing on local information, 2 men have now been arrested for the thefts, so we hope the thefts will now stop.

ROAD SAFETY - DO YOU KNOW YOUR RULE 243?
A new Road Safety Campaign - '243' - was launched yesterday in a bid to warn motorists that parking in dangerous places can cause accidents and is often illegal.

The Highway Code - Rule 243 states that No driver should park in the following places:

* near a school entrance
* at or near a bus stop or taxi rank
* opposite or within 10 metres of a junction (except authorised parking spaces)
* near the brow of a hill or hump backed bridge
* opposite a traffic island
* in front of the entrance to a property
* on a bend
* where the kerb has been lowered to help wheelchair users
* where you would obstruct cyclists' use of cycle facilities
* anywhere you would prevent access for Emergency Services
* on the approach to a level crossing

243 signs will be put up soon at sites where drivers are particularly abusing these rules. £70 fines, under the Traffic Management Act 2004, will be imposed where vehicles are parked inappropriately.

You have been warned!