TRANSPORT - BUSES

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" ... Having to stop to pick up passengers disrupts the timetable ... "

Bus services are seen as "second class" transport in Britain and must be dramatically improved, according to an environmental campaign group. Transport 2000 says passengers have to cope with rising fares and inadequate services. It has published a report describing buses as "the forgotten wing of public transport", despite often being the only option for people without cars. In response bus companies have admitted there is room for improvement but say passenger numbers are rising for the first time since World War II. The Transport 2000 report calls for better regulation of services and greater funding to extend services and bring down fares.

In some areas the group wants local councils to take control of privatised buses. It is also calling for the relaxation of competition laws to allow companies to co-operate where it would improve the service for passengers. The pressure group claims that bus fares have gone up by 87% since 1974. In small and medium sized towns buses can be scarce outside shopping hours and often do not serve out of town businesses, Transport 2000 says.

Other problems include high fares, poor connections with other services, bad information, poor security, cancellations, a lack of bus lanes and inadequate waiting facilities. Stephen Joseph, director of Transport 2000 and author of the report, said, "Buses are the forgotten wing of public transport and in many places are not up to scratch. For many journeys they are the only form of public transport available and for people without cars, they are often the main way of getting to shops, employment, education, friends and family."

Mr Joseph said that buses are a "social lifeline" and the government "should take the lead in getting them into gear". Transport 2000 points to cities like Nottingham to show that it is possible to run good bus services. In such places partnerships between local authorities and bus companies delivered well run buses backed by priority measures, good waiting facilities and extensive passenger information. A Transport 2000 spokesman said, "Good buses are essential if we're to get more people out of their cars and get congestion reduced."

Dunn-Line bus company of Nottingham, received several complaints in the last couple of years. In August, the firm announced it was cutting buses taking fans to the football ground. Earlier in the month, the council dropped Dunn-Line from school runs because of complaints of lateness. Around 35 pupils were left stranded for five hours at a farm centre in July after a Dunn-Line bus broke down and a replacement was not sent. More than 30 children had to walk several miles to school after a Dunn-Line driver dropped them off at a lay-by in January. However, Dunn-Line was voted Coach Company of the Year 2001 at the annual Coach Industry Awards in London. Makes you wonder what the worst were like.

Equal rights for men have been introduced in Derby in the form of OAP bus passes following a European Union ruling. Men aged 60 to 64 are being allowed to apply to the city council for free half-fare travel passes for the first time. Derby is one of the first places in the country to introduce the passes following the ruling. The passes will be valid across Derbyshire and if everyone in the county applied, it could cost councils up to £580,000.

The passes are being made available to men at the same age as women, following a change in equal rights law prompted by an EU court ruling. They allow half-fare travel on buses and trains within Derbyshire and to some destinations in neighbouring counties. Derby city councillor Sara Bolton said the scheme might get more drivers out of their cars. She said, "This extension to the scheme will enable more men to travel for less on public transport, which is good news for both public transport users and the environment."

A new, 24-hour bus lane in Osmaston Road, just before the Spider Island, was introduced by the council to allow buses to get through the traffic lights at the roundabout faster. Councillor Mark Tittley, who represents the Chellaston and Shelton Lock wards, said, "Many constituents have contacted me about this issue. They don't want this bus lane and I can see why. All the bus lane does is cause further congestion and it's not good news if you live in Allenton, Shelton Lock or Chellaston. It isn't even good news if you use the bus."

Although Derby City Council and Arriva said it was too early to comment on the bus lane's effectiveness, both believed the lane would benefit buses. Ian Butler, senior engineer in the council's accident and projects team, said, "We've had no calls from the public complaining that the bus lane is causing extra queues. It is part of a larger package of measures which we will be introducing over the next few months that should encourage more people to use public transport." Keith Myatt, spokesman for Arriva, said, "We would like to welcome the council's decision to offer bus priority measures."

When the 100-metre bus lane was added at Spider Island, at a cost of £500, residents and shop owners warned that traffic congestion would get worse. But the City Council said it would ease the situation and cut bus journey times. Now members of the council's area panel two have sided with residents and called on the cabinet to review the lane because it is causing backlogs.

The council's head of traffic, David Gartside, admitted that the bus lane was not working and said, "There are a mixture of reasons why it's not working. Predominantly, it's because it's not being respected. If it was well respected the buses could gain a short advantage over cars, which is what the lane is designed for. If it is properly used then there's no detriment to other cars on the road." One Allenton resident said, "The bus lane should go. It holds up everyone, buses included. The traffic has got a lot worse, not better." (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph)

I am a bus driver and I totally agree that the bus lane at Allenton is an absolute waste of taxpayers money. By designating one of the two existing lanes as a bus lane, this automatically doubles the length of queuing traffic. This means that buses will be further back in the queue and, because of the protruding kerb at the end of Stamford Street, buses will be caught up in the single queue back towards Shelton Lock. The most sensible course that the council should have taken is to create a bus lane all the way from the Merrill Way junction, to the Spider island, by adding a new lane - not by using an existing lane. This WOULD ease congestion.

There is space available to do this, although it would mean that the new car park outside the shops at Allenton, would have to be reduced. It seems that the council is hell-bent on reducing road widths, but if you look at the new road layouts around Kingsway island and Markeaton island, the simple expedient of adding another usable lane has cut down congestion considerably. While on the subject of Allenton, is it not about time that a bus lay-by was created at the bus stop immediately south of the Spider on the A514? This is a compulsory stop for the Arriva services and a timing point, which sometimes means that the buses have to stand for several minutes. This, combined with the pedestrian lights and the right turners into Stamford Street, causes further unnecessary congestion. Anon

Derby City Council has announced that one of two buses, used to transport more than 100 children to Bemrose Community School, in Uttoxeter Road, will be axed. Parents in Normanton claim their children could face a two-mile walk to get to school and some parents are concerned that their children will not get places on the remaining bus and will be forced to walk, or catch two other buses in and out of the city centre. One mother who lives in Dairyhouse Road said, "At the age of 12, I don't consider my daughter is old enough to walk or catch two buses each day." But old enough to become mothers, according to the Williams sisters.

As a regular bus user I have made a few rules for bus driv ... sorry, passenger-carrying vehicle drivers in my time. A selection of which are;

1. Early-morning rush-hour traffic a pain? Can't wait for a gap in the traffic to get across that busy roundabout? Tell you what, go anyway. After all, that car is bound to see what you're doing in plenty of time so he/she can slam their brakes on. It's not like the bus is slow to get going from stationary, is it?

2. Don't wait for that car or lorry to let you out from the bus stop, pull out and go as quick as you like. You are the bigger vehicle, therefore you have right of way.

3. Mobile phone going off? Here's your choice - you can either answer it and keep driving, or better still, pull over to the side of the road to continue your conversation. Don't worry about those passengers, I'm sure they all have understanding bosses!

4. Is that your mate driving the oncoming bus? Why not stop for a quick chat in the middle of the road and hold a bit of traffic up?

5. And finally, why not overtake around a blind bend? Then, when another bus suddenly appears coming head-on at you, you can dive back inside, knock that cyclist you were overtaking off his bike and then, despite the protestations of your passengers that the cyclist is in the road and could be injured, drive on anyway. (Congratulations to the cyclist, by the way, who managed to find the bus driver having a fag a few minutes later, and decided that a bit of eye-for-an-eye was in order and rode his cycle straight into the bus driver (don't try this one at home, kids).

I have seen all of these in my time as a passenger. When I used to live in Oakwood, the bus journey to work each day (if the bus arrived) became more of a lottery as time went on. I eventually gave up and started taking the car. D Massey

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