OnTheWight was pleased on Thursday last week to be able to announce that the planned closure of Newport Road (by the graben) was due to open almost a week earlier than expected.
Despite a few very hot days, repairs to a section of damaged sewer along Newport Road were completed and the road resurfaced and opened by Saturday morning. Much to the delight of residents and visitors.
Several incidents of verbal abuse
However, it wasn’t all smiles and happiness, because several people working hard to complete the work were subject to incidents of verbal abuse from members of the public.
We’re pleased to say this minority of people do not reflect the 1000s of people who live and work in Ventnor and were grateful for the speediness of the work.
A spokesman for Southern Water told OnTheWight,
“Repairs to a section of damaged sewer in Ventnor were completed six days ahead of schedule.
“Our aim is always to complete works as quickly and safely as possible, to minimise disruption to residents and motorists.
“Teams used specialist machinery and implemented extra shift patterns, including weekend work, to get the job done.
“Unfortunately, workers have reported several incidents of verbal abuse from members of the public.
“Whilst we understand that essential work may cause inconvenience, this kind of behaviour – directed at people simply doing their jobs – is completely unacceptable.
“We would like to thank our colleagues for their professionalism, and to those in the community who have praised their efforts and speediness.”
Don’t blame those on the front line
It’s worth remembering that if you are unhappy about road closures, emergency utility repairs, lack of services, etc, taking it out on the people working on the coal face does nothing except reflect badly on you.
These workers are not responsible for the delays, lack of services or bad decisions made. A bit of kindness and appreciation goes a long way.
