Bus stops and speed bumps

Yours,Vic Gibson

Dear Messenger,

A correspondent in issue 19 asked why the road was narrowed at bus stops on Scott Road. I am not a traffic engineer nor have access to the thinking behind planning, but the answer, surely, is that cars are prevented from parking at bus stops as commonly they have been.

The new system means that passengers have unhindered access to and from the bus, improving passenger safety. It also means that buses are no longer boxed in at stops by unyielding traffic. It could be argued that traffic would flow better if the road was not narrowed on the opposite side, painting double yellow lines instead to prevent parking, but we all know that motorists are totally selfish and will park anywhere, motoring law being very poorly enforced. Also the narrowed road makes for a safer crossing point for pedestrians. It is good to see a measure which favours the bus traveller and pedestrian and adds to traffic calming, which was much needed on Scott Road. I too find that driving at 20mph allows a comfortable journey over the humps and bumps, without having to use the brakes.