Hastings and Rye MP Helena Dollimore says she is "absolutely appalled" by last week's Rye News story about the 80-year-olds forced to sleep in their car after being caught out by overnight roadworks.The A259 main road was closed at night through Rye and around Winchelsea for several weeks in October.
Terry and Georgina Evans, from Winchelsea, were returning home after Georgina was rushed to hospital by ambulance on 8 October. They were discharged from the Conquest Hospital in Hastings at 1am the next morning but found the A259 closed as they approached home.
Workers repairing the road were unable to let the Evans through which led them to resort to sleeping in their car before the roadblock was lifted.
Terry and Georgina passed on their thanks for people's good wishes. You can read more about the couple here.
MP Helena Dollimore said she would be raising her concerns with the roads minister. "I am absolutely appalled at the way National Highways treated Terry and Georgina."
She said she had been caught up in the roadworks herself and had received many complaints. "I witnessed cars stuck on country lanes by badly signposted diversions. National Highways must do better. For the last year I have repeatedly raised incidents with National Highways of not properly signposting and communicating about road closures, from the A21 to the A259. I am demanding answers from them about what they will do to stop this happening again."
A National Highways spokesperson explained why Mr and Mrs Evans received no special assistance in spite of their age. “Our traffic management team followed the instructions outlined in their scope specifically that only people residing within the area being resurfaced were to be provided with escorts. Unfortunately, we’re unable to grant access based solely on individual reasoning."
