Plan to extend 'waste of money' bus lane

Work has begun on an extension of a bus lane scheme which controversially cost more than £1,200 a yard.

Opposition politicians have condemned the £988,600, 800-yard bus lane on the A367 at Odd Down as a complete waste of money.

But ruling Conservatives on Bath and North East Somerset Council say it plays a vital part in a £60 million programme of transport improvements aimed at getting more people out of their cars.

Council contractors will now build new sections of bus lane at what are said to be congested zones, new traffic lights at the junction of Wellsway and Greenway Lane, and improved crossing points.

B&NES says an estimated 875,000 bus passengers a year using the 173, 178, 179, and 184 services will benefit along with people on the Odd Down park and ride, 13 and 267 routes.

Council transport cabinet member Councillor Charles Gerrish (Con, Keynsham North) said the work would make bus travel a more attractive option.

"Traffic throughout much of the day, particularly during morning peak time, is stacked nose-to-tail on the A367. "Scheduled services and Odd Down park and ride buses will be more able to travel past queues of traffic, getting passengers to Bath city centre more quickly and reliably once the project is complete.

"The improvements will link with the existing half-mile stretch of bus lane at Odd Down which benefits bus services coming from Peasedown St John, Midsomer Norton, and Radstock by bypassing queues in moments."

Work over the next eight weeks will include:

* extra inbound lengths of bus lane where Bear Flat approaches Wells Road and on the approach to the Wellsway/Hatfield Road/Greenway Lane junction - with traffic lights to give buses priority

* a short length of bus lane at the lower end of Bloomfield Road, allowing buses to have priority when merging with Wellsway at Bear Flat

* a new pedestrian refuge at Bear Flat, next to an upgraded bus stop.

But Liberal Democrats say the money spent on the existing bus lane and the new measures would be better spent on providing free bus passes for children and campaigning for the reopening of railway stations.

The party's prospective Parliamentary candidate for the new North East Somerset seat, Gail Coleshill said: "It's a great shame that £988,600 has been spent on a stretch of road that has not at all helped ease the congestion going in and out of Bath – which is what those that who proposed it thought it would do."

Opposition politicians say the irrelevance of the existing lane was shown when the council's own gritters cleared the main part of the A367 of snow last month, but left the bus section untouched.

An Odd Down resident said the new traffic lights would cause chaos.

"Can you imagine what yet another set of traffic lights will do to the lower half of this road? The main cause of hold-ups now is the crossing on Bear Flat and this will only serve to make matters worse and push people onto other routes."

The work is however being backed by lobby group the Campaign for Better Transport.

Spokeswoman Jenny Raggatt said: "Making bus journeys more reliable is key to making bus travel a more viable option for people commuting to Bath from outside the city."

And operator First's regional managing director Justin Davies added: "The Odd Down bus lane is making a positive difference for First Somerset and Avon passengers travelling to Bath. The benefit for journey times and punctuality will improve even further once the improvements on Wellsway and Bear Flat are complete."

The council says funding for Greater Bristol Bus Network projects such as the A367 one cannot be used for re-opening railway stations or bus passes.