The Berlin Wall farce continues with Olhão’s famous railway crossing once again in the news with attempts to put a positive spin on the continuing story that so far has defied common sense but has provided amusement to thousands.
The solution as to 'how to cross the railway track' was announced in July 2015 when €150,000 of totally unnecessary work was announced by Infraestruturas de Portugal to widen the road underpass so that (unwilling) pedestrians could cross from one side of the city to the other without using the old pedestrian crossing over the tracks.
The money was not to build an underpass but simply to widen the pavements so that pedestrians can use the passage with safety and comfort, rather than cross the railway above ground which they have been doing without accidental death since the early 1900s.
During this construction work, which still hasn’t started, the pedestrian crossing will be used but a man will stand in a hut to monitor people and help if necessary. This monitoring is being paid for by Olhão’s taxpayers and the infrastructure company.
After the €150,000 of taxpayers’ money is wasted on the underpass, the plan is once again to close the pedestrian crossing - unless the underpass floods, which it does from time to time - in which case the old pedestrian crossing will be reopened - but only if the Civil Protection body authorises it.
And so to today, as media has been pleased to publicise yet more money being spent on the pedestrian crossing that will be shut as soon as the underpass is widened.
Three days work has resulted in a wheelchair ramp to replace ... a wheelchair ramp. This is to ensure those that the infrastructure company says are most at risk when crossing the railway line can get into position to cross the lines.
According to Olhão council, "the safety and mobility of all those who cross the railway line whether in wheelchairs or carrying baby carriages" is the main concern. The works include the replacement of the existing wheelchair access ramp with a larger one, "which makes an easier and safer crossing."
"This is a small job, but one that gives a higher quality of life to the hundreds of Olhanenses that daily cross by this route," gushes the local authority.
The old wheelchair ramp was perfectly useable and will be redundant when the underpass work is completed, unless it rains or course...
But when it rains of course...
