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Bus lane faces the axe
Friday 4th December 2009, 6:17PM GMT.
A bus lane in Wolverhampton could be ripped out after a review was ordered.
Wolverhampton City Council leader Neville Patten told the Express & Star he had doubts about the usefulness of the bus lane on the A449 Stafford Street.
The strip of red asphalt restricts cars to the outside lanes of the dual carriageway as they travel to and from the city centre past the Peel Centre, which is home to JJB Sports and Focus DIY. Councillor Patten wants highways chiefs to investigate whether the bus lane makes a positive difference to congestion.
He said: “There are so many cars that are just stuck in the outside lanes while the bus lanes are empty. I really want to see something done there to improve traffic flows. What concerns me most is the section from Five Ways Island towards the city centre where traffic goes past the Jaguar dealership and the Peel Centre.
“Vehicles that need to get access to those places have to cut across the bus lane at the last few seconds, and they are at risk of colliding with any other drivers who have decided to ignore the bus lane rules.”
Councillor Patten said he believed that the bus lane was not being used enough for it to remain in place.
He also wants to see a camera and electronic display, which flashes up with the number plates of cars that have entered the bus lane, moved elsewhere.
Recently, former Labour transport chief Councillor Milkinder Jaspal asked for a bus lanes in Heath Town to be removed. Councillor Jaspal had similar concerns about the risk to drivers turning into Tudor Road. The city council has promised to look into Councillor Jaspal’s concerns.
Former Travel West Midlands bus driver Councillor Patten has previously gone against his own party over transport matters. He ordered the removal of the red route on the A449 Stafford Road shortly after taking office last year despite pleas from Centro.
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I have been a bus user for 15 years and have seen the improvement this bus lane on this stretch of road has made ,it cuts down my journey to work time by at least ten minutes. I am keen for it to remain in place
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why not make the bus lanes live at rush hour times only? with regards to the removal of the bus lane at the three tuns,the parked cars are once again causing long tailbacks on the stafford road! this one did work.
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why not make the bus lanes live only at rush hours.
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Goodness me. Do I spy a dose of common sense breaking out?
Bus Lanes are lethal. The sooner they are removed the better. They are responsible for a considerable number of pedestrian and cyclist casualties on the roads.
This particular lane is especially hazardous.
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Bus lanes are great, but only if the addition of a bus lane doesn’t remove existing lanes.
Want a bus lane ? Build a new lane alongside.
None of the problems with the Stafford Street bus lane would be solved by making it ‘peak hours only’ by the way. The problems only happen because there is a large number of cars around.
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get rid of the bus lanes as they are a pain they hardly used and the buses use the normal road even though theres a bus lane on the same stretch of road is that common sense or the bus drivers think they own the roads .
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Can we also get rid of the bus lane along Wolverhampton Road West leading up to the M6 Junction 10 island? Nothing but misery EVERY morning and people flouting the bus lane restrictions because the traffic tails back through TWO sets of traffic lights, sometimes as much as half a mile! I’ve even seen a police patrol car using the bus lane illegally while not on a call. There is no need for a bus lane there.. it only causes MORE congestion! And as for the one outside Mr Tyre near Walsall – buses get OUT of their bus lane when they approach the traffic lights in the bus lane just so they can get through quicker in the normal lanes! What’s the point of having them if the buses are still going to clog up our lanes??
Rant over.
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I have to say I agree that trying to turn across these bus lanes has to be done with great care. Cars use the lane to undertake traffic attempting to turn left across the bus lane just to gain a few seconds. Not the fault of the bus lane but not safe either.
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Good, get rid of all the bus lanes, the sooner the better. They’re a waste of time,resources and are dangerous.
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I wonder how many of the above that want the bus lanes removed have ever tried catching a bus to work? Bus lanes are great if they are positioned correctly in the first place. This is probably the exception that proves the rule.
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Who much has this cost the tax payer of Wolverhampton.
Figures please?
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My god, Wolverhampton council are you finally using your noggins?
This stretch of road is rediculous, its effectivley a single carraigeway and at rush hour its just stupidly congested.
Get rid of the bus lane
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All the Wolverhampton bus lanes are a joke. What use are they when the buses end up getting stuck in the congestion afterwards that has been caused by the bus lanes.
Also on match days has anyone noticed how much quicker the conjestion clears on an evening or sunday match. This is all because on Saturdays only half the amount of cars can get out the city during the same time leaving it in grid lock.
This means police cant get to where the trouble is and ambulances cant get to new cross.
The fact is they are putting people lives at risk.
It works ok in London but the people making the decisions again forget that the rest of the country has no alternative in place but to use there cars so stop trying to force us not to.
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