THE opening of more than 70 new car parking spaces at Bathurst Hospital was supposed to fix parking issues both on the hospital grounds and in the streets surrounding it.
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It seems nothing of the sort has happened.
While the new spaces must have made a difference, the experience of residents living close to the hospital suggests there is still a long way to go.
The Western Advocate was called out on Wednesday to witness first-hand some of the difficulties the hospital’s neighbours are still facing simply getting out of their own driveway.
Our reporter was called there after resident Raelene Watts saw a car lightly hit her father’s ute that was parked on the street before leaving her vehicle blocking access to Ms Watts’ driveway.
But it was soon clear that it was not an isolated incident, with a number of Ms Watts’ neighbours also saying their driveways had been blocked and they had seen parked cars hit by drivers trying to fit in spaces that were too tight.
Even given the street’s proximity to the hospital, and the fact drivers visiting the hospital might be more stressed than usual, such behaviour is not acceptable.
It all serves to show just how poor the planning around the hospital’s parking needs had been when the $100 million redevelopment was under way a decade ago.
The new car park, which only opened in August, took the number parking spots on-site at the hospital from to 283 to 360 – but, clearly, that still is not enough.
The parking remains a great disappointment at the hospital given the tremendous work that has gone into upgrading services in recent years after the people of Bathurst were left feeling like the forgotten neighbours of Orange and Dubbo for so long.
Orthopaedic services, in particular, have been boosted to create something of a Central West hub and hospital management has embarked on a concerted recruitment program.
But the quality of service inside the hospital can easily let down by something as simple as a lack of parking outside.
It continues to happen and the search for a better solution must go on.
It is not good enough that this far down the track, and even after new spaces have been opened, that nearby residents can so often be denied entry to or exit from their own driveway.
