Tuesday 24 November 2015

Truro Sustainable Transport Strategy: Bus lane fiasco

Many of us have been extremely dubious about the Truro Sustainable Transport Strategy for some time. 
The bus lane fiasco in Tregolls Road shows that we were absolutely right to be concerned. 
The Council has described the introduction, followed by the immediate abolition of the bus lane, as a 'tweak' to their Strategy.  This is not so.  It was fundamental to their thinking that people would be encouraged to get on the buses because they would be moving faster than cars.  This does not work without bus lanes. 
Another bus lane on the western side of Truro has also recently been dropped, although it too was originally considered essential.
The fact is that Truro does not have the road space for bus lanes.
The Council was convinced that the people who come from East Cornwall and use the Western Park and Ride would swap to the Eastern Park and Ride but apparently they have not: they would rather have the convenience of their own car.
If we are to avoid total gridlock the Council needs a root and branch review of their Transport Strategy for Truro.   In the meantime they should stop approving developments based on computer modelling which clearly does not work.