TORIES PLAN BUS LANE FOLLIES

12.00.00am GMT Wed 12th Feb 2003

At tonight's Environment and Overview and Scrutiny Committee the Tories unveiled their review of the Borough's Bus Lanes. Some strange ideas emerged.

Comments Cllr Martin Elengorn "The Tories were clearly put out that the Borough's bus lanes were a huge success and wanted to save face by tinkering. So one bus lane had to go and they chose that in Upper Teddington Road."

"Despite their claims of lack of funds they were prepared to spend £25,000 removing it, despite admitting that it didn't hold up other traffic."

"The only gain would be further parking spaces, perhaps the most expensive per space in the borough."

"They also wanted experiments to introduce HGVs or motorbikes into bus lanes."

"Comments Martin "The craziest proposal was that the Cross Deep morning rush hour bus lane should be shared with HGVs.

Because of cars overlapping from the outside lane onto the bus lane, buses sometimes have trouble gaining the full benefit of this very useful lane.

Competing with HGVs will make this twenty times worse not to speak of the fumes of the HGVs on schoolchildren walking to the two schools.

Unfortunately the 3-hour guillotine was approaching and it was not possible to query other plans. Sadly the Tory Councillors on the Committee used their majority to support these bizarre plans."