Margate has experienced massive disruption to the normal flow of traffic today following a fire and an unrelated traffic accident on the main route trough Margate to Ramsgate.

The fire at Hawley Square has, according to kentnews.co.uk, had 70 firefighters and 12 engines fighting the blaze which has left at least 8 people homeless and the main road closed.

This has caused traffic (including buses) to divert via the clock-tower leading to an increase of traffic through that area making it unseasonably busy there.

As if this was not bad enough a car crash near the Star Pub on the Margate road has closed a section of the Ramsgate Road. This has forced traffic to redirect through Victoria Road traffic junction and around behind the hospital. The traffic lights there being mainly temporary lights.

At lunch time today the traffic was backed up from the lights to the roundabout. Buses are having to pass through the lights twice in each direction in order to service the QEQM hospital. The result has been that bus services having been messed up to the point that any given bus is running at least an hour late so that buses "arrive when they get there".

If you are using public transport today be sure to leave extra time for your journey. From Westwood cross to the Weatshief is taking about an hour at present (guess what journey I had to make today).