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For Immediate Release: Tuesday 30th November 2004
Bring back the bus lane!
Are buses the Council's priority?
Environmental and public transport campaigners will be on the buses today from 5pm collecting signatures to a petition calling on Birmingham City Council to reinstate the bus lane on Route 67 [1] along the Tyburn Road. The petition will be presented to a future Council meeting.
Transport 2000, Bus Users UK and Birmingham Friends of the Earth [2] launched the campaign after Councillor Len Gregory, the City Council's Cabinet Member for Transportation, said that the temporary suspension of the bus lanes along the Tyburn Road in August, whilst work was being completed on the M6 and Aston Expressway, could be made permanent.
Since the bus lane was suspended, traffic congestion has actually worsened along the Tyburn Road, and bus journey times have lengthened. This has been borne out by research from Route 67's operator, Travel West Midlands which shows that delays are up by up to 11% since the cessation of the lanes.
Kevin Chapman, of Transport 2000 West Midlands commented:
"It is ludicrous that buses, which can carry 70-80 people, are not being given the use of the bus lanes that have been created. There has been a lot of investment by TWM and Centro on Route 67 for new buses and infrastructure to attract new passengers. However, the council do not seem to recognise this."
Mr. Chapman also said that the Council's decision went against the Government's policy of trying to encourage people out of their cars and onto public transport.
Phil Tonks of Bus Users UK commented
"This policy is disastrous for the long-term future of Birmingham. We already have horrendous traffic congestion in the City and we need innovative solutions to tackle this problem. Instead, we have a policy that encourages people to use their own vehicles and clog up the City even further. We are going to end up with total gridlock if Councillor Gregory continues with these ideas".
Martin Stride of Birmingham Friends of the Earth commented…
"The Council have ignored the needs of bus users in continuing the suspension of this bus lane. Some people have no alternative to the bus and will now suffer a less reliable service and longer journey times as the buses become ensnared in the rest of the traffic using the bus lane. Others will switch back to using their car so making congestion and pollution in the city much worse. The result is that we all end up suffering."
Travel West Midlands has seen passenger numbers on Route 67 drop by over 15% compared to the same time last year. This drop is almost certainly because of the poorer bus service resulting from the suspension of the bus lane on Tyburn Road.
Editor's Notes
[1] Route 67, which runs between Birmingham City Centre and Castle Vale via the Tyburn Road, is the main public transport link into Castle Vale. It is operated by Travel West Midlands.
[2] Transport 2000 is a leading national organisation campaigning for sustainable transport. T2000's vision is of a country where traffic no longer dominates our lives,
Bus Users UK (formally the National Federation of Bus Users) is a nation-wide campaign group supported by bus users, operators and individuals, which aims to increase bus use and encourage the development of high quality services.
Friends of the Earth is a leading environmental organisation which campaigns on many issues including transport. Birmingham Friends of the Earth is one of 250 local groups in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.