Coventry's bus lanes could be scrapped amid pollution fears

[dutchman]

Council bosses are looking at getting rid of bus lanes in Coventry following concerns they are causing unnecessary delays and increasing pollution.



A full review is to be carried out into the city’s bus-only lanes which councillors say are adding to traffic congestion.

One option could be to remove them all in an effort to improve air quality and stop cars sitting in traffic jams.

Coventry City Council’s scrutiny committee has today recommended a full review into bus lanes after a report into air quality showed more people in Coventry are expected to die as a result of air pollution than from alcohol or obesity related illness.

Councillors raised concerns that the bus lanes were contributing to high pollution levels - especially in the north of the city.

Some urged the city to follow in the footsteps of Liverpool which recently voted to remove almost all of its bus lanes.

Labour Coun George Duggins said: “We do need an urgent review of the bus lanes. I believe we need to take them out and that they are causing artificial congestion.

“The buses don’t use them properly and they reduce traffic flow significantly.”

Fellow Labour Coun Ram Lakha said he had always had doubts about the effectiveness of the bus lanes.

He said: “I made a silly comment when we first looked at bus lanes in the city that it’s like putting lipstick on old ladies.

“It’s putting pretty colours on the road that don’t actually improve the flow of traffic.”

Conservative Coun Ken Taylor said he agreed a review was needed but worried the council might be stuck with the bus lanes.

He said: “The difficulty is we took money from central government to install the bus lanes. We are probably committed to keep those bus lanes for a certain amount of time.”

The council’s report showed that 52 out every 100,000 people in Coventry will die as result of air pollution - compared to 49 for obesity and 41 for alcohol.

There are also concerns the council could be landed with a share of a £400million fine if it doesn’t improve air quality after Europe recently warned the UK it is failing to meet pollution targets.

The council report showed measurements in Ball Hill and at Tollbar Island are two locations where air pollution levels have regularly been above the national guidelines for acceptable levels.

A revised air pollution strategy is set to be drawn up and is expected by next summer.

[rebbonk]

You just have to laugh. Anyone with an ounce of common sense could have told then this before they did it, but no, these ar$eholes know better don't they?

Just like when they filled in the bus bays on the Foleshill Road and brought the stops out level with the road causing mayhem and delays.

Coventry Council doesn't seem to be blessed with the brightest of people does it?

[dutchman]

I remember when they created the bus lane on the south side of the Butts Relief Radial Spur (to use its correct name). No-one from the council monitored the work in progress so there was no-one to tell the contractor the bus lane should be green and not black. They had to dig up the lane and re-lay it in the correct colour.

The addition of bus lanes widened the same road to seven lanes which - along with the filling-in of the subway - has made it extremely dangerous for pedestrians to cross.