No need for bus lane says village (From The Advertiser Series)

No need for bus lane says village

9:30am Friday 5th February 2010

• Print
• Email
• Share

RESIDENTS are urging transport chiefs to rethink plans for a bus lane that could reduce journey times through their village – by just 25 seconds.

Durham County Council wants to build the lane next to the northbound carriageway of Front Street East at Croxdale, near Durham City, as part of its £5m Transit 15 project to improve the county’s public transport.

But the scheme is unanimously opposed by Croxdale Parish Council and 110 villagers have signed a petition urging the county council to overturn what they call its “undemocratic decision’’.

Parish council chairman Joe Anderson, a former Labour city councillor who served two terms as mayor of Durham City, and lives in the street, said: “We had a letter from the county saying that there would be a 20-25 second saving in time and that it would pay for itself in 15 years.

“They will take a metre off the footpath to make way for the lane and they are moving a bus shelter that the parish council paid towards.

“The problem isn’t even here, it is further down where the traffic queues up at the roundabout and that is only for three-quarters of an hour to an hour.

“We are not going to let them push it through like they did with the horse (the controversial re-siting of the Londonderry statue in Durham city centre).

“I demand to find out who voted for it. I have tried for 50 years to get the speed limit cut in this road. They come down here like bats out of hell.’’ A spokesman for Durham County Council said: “We have carried out a consultation with people in Croxdale, including meeting with the parish council, about plans for a bus lane in the village.

“It is estimated that the scheme will benefit 50,000 bus passengers every year.

“Following the consultation in Croxdale we are reviewing the scheme in order to address some of the concerns which have been raised.

• Print
• Email
• Share