DaC driver Michael Bures (B01) recently told us
of his concern regarding Westminster Council’s banning
of the right turn into Devonshire Street from Great
Portland street by making the first section of
Devonshire Street to Hallam Street one-way eastwards. He
told us:
"The traffic now is terrible going westward through New Cavendish
street and it seems that the Bendy Bus has brought about
these alterations to our roads - including the Sloane
Square fiasco where they want to put a road straight
through a 200 year old Square to accommodate this stupid
bus that most people you speak to feel is not
appropriate for London anyway."
And indeed, Michael is right – the new one-way section that is
causing so much havoc along the alternative New
Cavendish Street is due to the bendy bus.
Tim Lloyd, the Westminster Council scheme development manager says:
"The scheme in which Devonshire Street is made one way between
Hallam Street and Great Portland Street is experimental.
It was developed to reduce the unwanted loop through
Park Crescent that articulated buses have had to make on
the 453 route, while also providing an important bus
stop by Great Portland Street Station to provide a good
interchange of public transport in the area."
In continuing, Mr Lloyd gives a clue as to the Council’s real
feelings about bendy buses. He goes on: "The Council
has no real choice about the types of bus used by London
Buses and the bendy buses have a greater swept path when
turning at junctions. It is this constraint that is
making it necessary to introduce a traffic scheme that
will let the bendy buses turn left safely into Great
Portland Street without over-running the southbound
traffic lanes."
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Bendy Bus: is anything else as
important?
Having gained some points from the licensed taxi
trade, he then loses them all by showing that the
Council do not differentiate between cars and taxis. He
says: "The City Council had also received several
complaints about rat running through Devonshire Street
as a result of congestion on Marylebone Road, which was
considered as another potential benefit from the scheme.
It is recognised that some vehicles may be deflected to
New Cavendish Street and this is being monitored with
traffic counts before and after the start of the
scheme."
Call Sign remembers Peter Hendy, MD of Surface Transport
at TfL, telling the trade when we expressed concern at
the possible proliferation of the bendy bus and the
havoc they would cause, that there would be only four
routes that used them. Now there are eleven and no doubt
more will follow.
Surface Transport embraces London Buses, East Thames Buses, the
Public Carriage Office, Croydon Tramlink, Dial-a-Ride,
Victoria Coach Station, riverboat passenger services and
TfL’s corporate interest in Transport Policing and
Enforcement.
It also has responsibility for Street Management with
schemes such as the Upper Street bus lane amongst
others. Prior to joining TfL, Mr Hendy was Deputy
Director of UK bus company FirstGroup, being responsible
for bus operations in London and southern England in
addition to bus development. He has also been MD of
CentreWest London Buses.
He first joined London Transport as a graduate trainee in 1975 and
was the personal assistant to the Chairman of LT in
1978. As such, no one – including Mr Hendy himself – can
deny that he is a busman. However, as the PCO comes
under their banner, should he not also think about
taxis?
The situation at Great Portland Street, which now forces taxis to
crawl along New Cavendish Street, seems to suggest what
many of us already know; we are recognised as the best
taxi service in the world by everyone except Transport
for London… |
