A disgruntled user of the Greenwich Foot Tunnel has created a web app so fellow walkers and cyclists can warn each other when the crossing’s unreliable lifts are broken.
The lifts have been regularly out of action since a botched refurbishment by Greenwich Council 14 years ago.
Both Greenwich and Tower Hamlets councils own the crossing between Cutty Sark Gardens and Island Gardens, but Greenwich takes responsibility for maintenance.
The 113-year-old crossing was built by the old London County Council to help dock workers get across the Thames. When London-wide government was abolished in 1986 the tunnel was handed to the two boroughs, who have had a fractious relationship in recent years.
The north lift has so far been out of action for two months, with no repair date in sight, causing problems for visitors to The Big Half half-marathon in Greenwich this Sunday.
Andreas Nikolaou, who commutes through the tunnel with his bike, became so frustrated at the lack of real-time information on the state of the lifts that he decided to create a web app so users can alert each other.
Users simply need to sign up with greenwichlifts.co.uk and register whether or not each lift is working when they pass through.
While Greenwich Council’s website has a status page for both the Greenwich and Woolwich foot tunnels, it often takes some time to update, Nikolaou said.
“The council website is great for long-term announcements but it’s not reactive to sudden outages to help users plan their journey,” he said. “This is the gap I’m trying to fill with my solution.”
A council spokesperson told The Greenwich Wire: ” The Grade II listed Greenwich Foot Tunnel is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The structure is over 100 years old and requires specialist maintenance.
“We’re sorry there have been issues with the lifts, and the disruption this has caused, as lifts age their performance naturally worsens. Because the parts are specially made, ordering them and installing them takes time but we have secured what we need at best value and will be carrying out repairs.”
The council did not answer a question asking when repairs would be carried out, nor did it comment on the status of talks about replacements for the lifts at both Greenwich and its sister foot tunnel at Woolwich, where one lift has been broken for three years.
In June Greenwich said it was seeking agreement with Tower Hamlets on imposing “substantial fines” on cyclists riding through the tunnel, after years of disagreements between the two councils over the issue.
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