Friday 30th June 2006

Council removes bus lanes and cameras

18-month experiment raises Livingstone's ire

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Bus lane causes congestion

Ealing Council, in the west of London, is to dump some of its bus lanes -- and that's prompted a threat of legal action  from city mayor Ken Livingstone.

The council's decided to declare a temporary removal of bus lanes and enforcement cameras in Yeading and Northolt for 18 months to see if they really are needed. The recently-elected Tory councillors said they were responding to calls from residents who said the systems increased congestion.

So the council decided to see if that was true and will remove them for 18 months. The council leader John Stacey told the BBC: "We will be totally open about what we decide after the 18 months is up and if it appears the bus lanes are needed, then we'll keep them."

The reaction from the city's transport body, Transport for London (TfL) was negative, saying that said the move was "retrograde and anti-commuter". TfL said that it couldn't agree to an methodology that ignores its citywide responsibilities for transport -- including buses -- in favour of a so-called piecemeal approach. It then said that the mayor would consider all options including legal action to stop the council.

A spokesman said: "This is an anti-commuter, anti-public transport announcement that does not seem to consider the needs of bus users."

[ATG]

Fack off Ken

[PhantomPH]

Nice to see that someone (the council in question) is open to the posibility that the current road structure is wrong.

Now, if only we could get a council to adopt a similar approach to SCams and see if they are really need....

P~

[arcbeer]

Sounds perfectly reasonable but shouldn't/wasn't this type of analysis done before the bus route was initially installed?

[simond001]

Good news. I'm sure that Ken will do his utmost to prevent it, wasting tax payers money to sue a council that are doing what the taxpayer has been asking for.

(anti commuter?? bollox to that. If it means that access to the A40 is quicker is pro commuter)

Oh it is anti public transport though, although personally i don't know anyone who uses a bus, and ealing has a rather good tube service into town.

[r5gttgaz]

ATG said:

Fack off Ken

[350matt]

At last! Someone has stood up to this throwing half the road away nonsense.
There should definilty be a criteria for making road policy ie YOU SHOULD DRIVE and not be driven, taxied , or otherwise ferried about

Matt

[apache]

"the mayor would consider all options including legal action to stop the council"

Revealing his true colours there isn't he, the man's a self centred prick and I hope his nose gets put right out of joint over this one

[aston67]

give that council a MEDAL for pete'sake!!!

Well done... another 20 councils to go...

sweeet

[aston67]

Telephone and email contacts:
Tel: [phone]
Hours: 8am-6pm
Email: [e-mail]

I have just emailed the council to congratulate them for this initiative!

well done, really well done!

give your support to this council via email or mail so that Red Ken finally can let the councils clean up their act

A67

[dougc]

Saw Ken on the news last night ranting about this. Toys all over the place and he'd spat his dummy so far it wasn't even in the same shot as him.

Tip of the iceberg? If this trial proves to be a success hopefully the public will begin to notice all the street furniture and coloured tarmac that has been put in place to create congestion.

[apache]

dougc said:

Saw Ken on the news last night ranting about this. Toys all over the place

I'll bet, this was not part of his plan to rid the world of motorists, the dreadful little shit

[jwyatt]

"does not seem to consider the needs of bus users"

Good. On the rare occasions I use a bus it's a complete freak-show, there certainly are not many people on there contributing to the taxes that cretins like Ken spend...

[bridgland]

At least someone is listening to the people who have to put up with these systems. Ken is a twit of the Monty Python order. He'll soon be providing Fox shelters and a FREE seethrough backpack offer for wouldbe terrorists just to make sure the public can be warned that they are in danger!

[LooseCannon]

jwyatt said:

"does not seem to consider the needs of bus users"

Just the other 90% of the population...

[sa_20v]

Excellent news...

...but I would like our local council to continue their campaign against idiocy. There are traffic lights in Ealing that obstruct the natural flow of traffic, in fact, there are even traffic lights only installed for that very purpose. The tram through Ealing needs to be abolished, and where a bus lane runs through the centre of the town the taxi rank in the middle of it should be removed!!

[sa_20v]

Press statement from Ken's office, what absolute rubbish.

www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/press-centre/press-releases/press-releases-content.asp?prID=834

At least see what the results of the trial are Ken?! Some people have to live in Ealing you know!

[fourwheelsteer]

What a refreshing change to read some good news. For once it sounds like common sense has prevailed. As a result all traffic should flow that little bit more freely.

[Nostrils]

Its about time too! I am one of the local residents who kept badgering the motorists forum for Hillingdon, who were in consultation with Ealing. I personally think this will work, but relying on the data collected I am not so confident about - If revenue reduces, I think they will bring it back!

It would be interesting to see what the traffic is like on the Hayes By-Pass of an evening!

Phil

[ubergreg]

I'll keep an open mind on this one.

Ken shouldn't be kicking off so forcefully over it though. The locals have voted, and made their wishes clear. If Ken really respects a democratic process, and cares about making London flow freely, he should sit back and wait for the results. They might surprise him, they might not.

But the voters have been listened to; I find that utterly refreshing.

Edited by ubergreg on Friday 30th June 14:05

[bridgland]

sa_20v said:

Press statement from Ken's office, what absolute rubbish.

www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/press-centre/press-releases/press-releases-content.asp?prID=834

At least see what the results of the trial are Ken?! Some people have to live in Ealing you know!

Isn't it interesting that you cannot email TfL with general comments? You have to use a submission form and submit your details. Shows that they are not openly listening (see the format of the form), or prepared to openly listen to the public, however they will listen to carefully vetted focus groups!

Edited by bridgland on Friday 30th June 14:07

Edited by bridgland on Friday 30th June 14:25