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Tory bus lane madness
March 30, 2005 5:34 PM
Swindon Borough Council is consulting the public on plans to allow motorists to use bus lanes in non-peak times. Lib Dems say it's a route which can only lead towards road-rage.
Liberal Democrat Transport Spokesman, Cllr Stan Pajak (Lib Dem, Eastcott) said:
"Allowing cars to drive in bus lanes defeats the whole point of a bus lane and makes the Council's Transport Plan main themes to encourage public transport patronage a laughing joke.
"The Tory joke that won't have people laughing is: when is a bus lane not a bus lane? Between the hours of 7pm and 7am".
Swindon Tories want cars to use bus lanes
In September 2003 the Conservatives proposed removing 24-hour bus lanes in Swindon. At the time Liberal Democrat councillors opposed the scheme saying it was a ridiculous idea that would cost £20,000 to introduce and have little effect in moving traffic more efficiently around the town.
But by January 2004 the Conservative dominated Cabinet agreed a majority of bus lanes should only operate from 7am to 7pm, with any vehicle being allowed to drive in bus lanes at other times.
Now in this month of March 2005 the Council have finally got round to consulting residents of Swindon on the proposal. The deadline for objections is 6th April.
Cllr Stan Pajak continued:
"This Conservative proposal to allow cars in bus lanes should have been kicked out when it was first debated in late 2003. Allowing all vehicles to use bus lanes after the evening rush hour and before the morning commuter time will give little benefit to motorists, as roads are not congested at these times.
"I fear that motorists will hear the message that bus lanes don't operate anymore, see an empty bus lane and race into it to avoid queues of traffic at all times of the day. This scheme could bring out the worst in impatient motorists and increase road-rage on the town's roads as drivers race along our main streets."
These proposals are before the Swindon public for consultation hot on the heals of a damning Transport competence report late last year which graded Swindon Borough Council as the worst authority inspected in the whole country.
Cllr Pajak concluded:
"Such an illogical policy change will further damage our standing with the Department of Transport. It sends the wrong message to both the public and the Government when we need to invest more effort into a sustainable Local Transport Plan that encourages people to leave their cars at home".
The consultation deadline for objections to allow cars to use bus lanes in non-peak periods is Wednesday 6th April 2005.
Objections should be sent to: ref: "za/bus lane/2005." Mr Ioan Rees, Head of Transportation Services, Premier House, Swindon. SN1 1TZ
Stan Pajak has submitted the following objection:
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I wish to object most strongly to the proposed change to the operation times of the bus lanes as stated in the advertised order ref. za/bus lane/2005.
My reasons for objecting to the order as follows:
· Confusion - presently the bus lane exclusion to cars is simple to understand and total. A change to an operational time will be both confusing to motorists and inevitably lead to people using them incorrectly - "the almost time" dangerous syndrome
· Increased dangers to the present users of bus lanes - buses, cyclists and motorbikes
· The change runs completely contrary to Swindon's Transport Policy of trying to encourage people to use public transport or the bike
· At the proposed times when cars will be allowed to use bus lanes there are no congestion problems - the change will simply not help motorists.
· Such an illogical policy change will further damage our standing with the Department of Transport. It sends the wrong message to both the public and the Government when we need finance for our Local Transport Plan.
· The cost of the proposal estimated at £25,000 could be much better spent in preventing accidents rather than a scheme that is virtually guaranteed to increase the likelihood of accidents
I hope these points serve to illustrate the fact that we should not introduce this change in operational times of our bus lanes.
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