Letter: Policing Bus-lanes is Not the Answer to Guildford’s Traffic Problems

Published on: 17 Dec, 2019
Updated on: 17 Dec, 2019

From Barry Williams

In response to: Illegal Use of Guildford Bus-Lanes Could Cost You £70, But Who Gets The Cash?

Nobody would argue with the benefit from reliable and “green clean” public transport nor with an efficient and modern bus station (wherever that may be in the (hopefully) redeveloping town).

But policing bus-lanes is not the long-term answer for our town. We need a new river/rail crossing with a revised inner town circuit system to replace our gyratory system, which is no longer fit for purpose.

Before authorising any investment into bus-lane enforcement why not try doing away with the Onslow Street bus-lane for a trial period and evaluating the results on traffic flow? And at the same time, really enforce controls on blocking yellow boxes. All that may give surprising results.

Serious questions should be asked about the present Onslow Street set-up which only adds to congestion and traffic pollution at peak times because drivers are “forced ” into the wrong lane, having to recross at the end of the bus-lane to access the A281 and gyratory.

Apart from yellow-box enforcement, further benefit would be gained If traffic flow arriving from the York Road roundabout was also controlled by traffic lights.

Responses to Letter: Policing Bus-lanes is Not the Answer to Guildford’s Traffic Problems

Martin Elliott Reply

December 17, 2019 at 12:57 pm

The justification reported as a reason for enforcement was the number of observed infringements in Onslow Street, 99 in one day.
That might have a correlation to raising revenue, but as soon as word gets around there will be a reduction as happened in London Boroughs.

There they do have a real problem of congestion of parking in and misused bus-lanes.

However, I don’t see a similarity in Guildford or Stoke. Cllr Matt Furniss may claim it is to reduce congestion not raise revenue, but he and the officers haven’t produced a sensible technical case. Reporting the number of offences is entirely specious without demonstrating a correlation to congestion.

And finally, if it’s so necessary, why not the rediculous bus lane on Parkside?
Anthony Mallard Reply

December 17, 2019 at 4:25 pm

The letter from Mr Williams is pertinent but misses two significant points.

The first, his suggestion raises no revenue, which is clearly the object.

The second relates to whomsoever agreed to the closure of the pedestrian tunnel between the lower High Street and Debenhams. The replacement pedestrian lights which are not co-ordinated with those in the gyratory system, together with the pedestrian lights as one turns into the lower end of the High Street from Onslow Street, frequently cause a tailback which in turn blocks the gyratory system.

The answer is not enforcement it is investment.