Region 15
News from the NOS•
Another car crashed into the collapsible pole of the Escamplaan in The Hague. It is the fiftieth machine to deal with this infamous “horror survey”.
The two occupants were checked by paramedics but did not go to the hospital. The car sustained significant damage.
The poles, called bollards, were placed in June 2021 by the municipality of The Hague to stop car traffic. The road is intended for regular buses and emergency services. To do this, the pole is automatically lowered. Sometimes it happens that cars try to drive behind such a bus or an emergency service, but the pole rises before they have passed it.
Measures
There were sixteen incidents in the first two weeks after the bollards were knocked down. The municipality then placed large warning signs with flashing lights. “We have also deployed traffic controllers to steer traffic in the right direction,” a spokesperson said. “They are still there every morning.”
Why it still goes wrong is a mystery to the spokesperson. This spring, the municipality commissioned an independent investigation into the traffic situation in Escamplaan. As a result, the bollard was illuminated, more signs were added and the “Lijnbus” sign painted on the road surface.
Images of wreaths that have been hung on the Escamplaan are circulating on Twitter:
The council spokesman finds it unsurprising that the survey keeps local residents busy, among others. “We are busy with this, so it makes sense that it also happens among the residents. We are looking for solutions.” Each collision with the bollard costs the municipality an average of 7,000 euros. “A good amount.”
The municipality wants more notices on the road surface for drivers. It is also studying whether the bollard can be replaced by cameras. “But there is more to it than hanging a camera on the wall,” says the municipal spokesman. For example, someone has to be appointed to read the pictures and submit fines.
