There is something much more sinister going on here. The bus service is nowhere near good enough or cheap enough to attract people from their cars, hence there being no more buses since the scheme began.That is not the issue - a decent service would require government money, but which government is going to spend money in order to reduce the tax grab from motorists?In reality, the scheme has acheived its objective in creating more congestion. This will be repeated - there are plans for a bus lane on Kedleston Road, or there will be tinkering with traffic lights timing (which has been done at the Pentagon, which resulted in rush-hour type queues along the A52 beyond Pride Park all day long! The intention is to get us used to sitting in "congestion" so that the Council can then justify setting up a congestion charge, and ripping more money off the motorist, without providing a viable, workable alternative to the car.They actually can't afford to - it would require a huge subsidy using government money to provide a proper bus service, but what government is going to spend money in order to reduce the amount of money it pluders from our wallets?When the congestion charge is introduced, and it will be, you will see all the artificial congestion suddenly "solved", thus proving that the new charge really works. Red Ken employed these tactics in London, and has just got away with it again!So, people of Derby, you have been warned.
Dave Allestree
Mon Apr 23 20:24:43 2007
Traveling to town on a byclcle is good however retuning the otherway is down right dangerous. There is not enough room for cars to move over, several times I have been very close to being knocked off. The only save option is to cycle on the pavement.
Derek McCulloch
Fri Apr 20 22:27:30 2007
Traffic seems to move better. One danger seems to be the bus lane for cyclists, could the council not a seperate cycle lane besides the footpath going in to town.
Rob
Thu Apr 5 15:18:33 2007
I noticed this morniong that chaos was being caused by the recycling collection vehicle slowly going and stopping goingnorthbound as traffic was unable to overtake it!!
Alan Squires
Wed Apr 4 16:31:45 2007
Surely the whole point behind the bus lane is that you sit in your car in a queue of congested traffic everyday watching the buses pass you by until you eventually realise that it may be quicker to use the bus therefore eventually reducing the congenstion. The person that compares travelling by bus at a cost of £19 to a car at £1 did you take into account the everday running costs and depreciation costs of your car as a DIRECT COMPARISON OR JUST HOW MUCH YOUR PETROL COSTS BECAUSE ITS NOT A FAIR COMPARISON OTHERWISE.
Ian
Wed Apr 4 14:09:46 2007
After reading a report in A Leading Weekly car magazine about DfT encouraging LA's to narrow roads and exacerbate congestion, this latest wheeze by the City Council comes as no real surprise, its all aboard the movement tax bandwagon known as the "congestion charge trial"
Paul Poulsen
Mon Apr 2 22:20:58 2007
Nobody should argue that buses should have priority in a city, without public transport a city is doomed to have congestion. Derby is more or less without an integrated transport policy and it has congestion. Bus lanes in principle are a sound idea but I'd like to know how much time this lane knocks off a journey and at what times of day it makes a difference. I suspect nearly as many cyclists have been forced off this road compared to bus users that have benefited. I suspect the small advantage it provides is not worth the risk it poses to road users. Having just moved to the area I was thinking about cycling to work but if I do it won't be along Duffield road now. A time limit on the bus lane and a new cycle lane out of town might solve some of the problems but if it hasn't made things more dangerous for road users why has the speed limit changed? I sincerely hope that this decision has had more thought than it appears and that it will not take accidents to put it right. Only time will tell.
James, Allestree
Mon Mar 26 19:42:02 2007
Has anyone noticed that Chris Wynn never uses the word "safety" in the interview.
He says rightly that the Council dont own the buses, yet he concerns himself with their profit margins.
Can't people from Belper use the train? That would be integrated transport.
And finally, so what if they do introduce a Congestion Charge, the shops in town would die off against the choice of out of town shopping centres, both locally and within 20 miles.
FTA
Tue Mar 20 22:18:54 2007
Because of the total lack of foresight by the Planning Officers in Derby, all of the traffic that used to flow into the city along the Duffield Road is now using Burley Lane and Church Road through Quarndon, and onto the Kedleston Road. This new "rat run" for vehicles cannot support such an increased traffic flow but apparently all the Planning Officers in Derby care about is "buses being able to get into the city, quicker"! If the pricing of bus travel was more competitive then people might use public transport. If a bus service of any form existed to/from outlying villages then they would be used more! What would be worth a trial would be to make the traffic flow into town along Duffield Road two lanes (in the morning rush hour) with one coming out of town (vice versa at night time rush hour). In this way both buses and cars will be able to improve their journey times.
Peter Burgess
Tue Mar 20 16:21:23 2007
I agree that the road seems to have improved however I work with two people who use Kedleston Road and they say that the traffic has increased on this road considerably over the last three weeks. With all the media attention is it any wonder people are giving it a wide birth! Are the council looking at the other roads to see what the affect is. The bus lane has NOT improved flow it has just meant less people are using Duffield Road....get with the program!
Justin Allows
Tue Mar 20 16:12:23 2007
Sean, Thanks for your constructive comment! At the risk of being considered negative, may I suggest that a frequent park and ride from Allestree Park to "the bus station" would provide a much better option. This would reduce the traffic along the whole of Duffield Road-not just that bit past St Benedict's School- and negate the need for this rather unsafe option. The Council might also consider park and ride from Darley and Markeaton Parks and the old Manor Hospital.
Paul Gardner
Tue Mar 20 13:54:07 2007
This is a poor piece of planning, the lanes are so narrow! Pulling out onto the road requires nerves of steel,turning north means I have to arch into the oncoming lane.
I have braved the road in the car, however would not cycle along there in its present state.
There are more congestion issues caused by this scheme than have been solved.(Queues caused by citybound traffic turning right, out bound busses stopping etc)
David Parsonage
Wed Mar 14 11:50:49 2007
I live and cycle along Duffield Road to work every day. I have been hit on the elbow by an overtaking bus. Now I go by car. It's safer.
John Allestree
Wed Mar 14 10:13:20 2007
This is the most ridiculous city Council initiative I have ever seen. I regularly walk/drive along this route and find that for the majority of the day the bus lane is completely empty and the other lane going into Derby is blocked solid! Traffic is cutting through Darley Abbey (Church St) already congested at school times due to the presence of 2 schools in the village, to try and avoid congestion on the A6. As a pedestrian I am terrified that something will swerve into the pavement to avoid an oncoming HGV and hit me, or other pedestrians instead! For those living along the A6 who can no longer take delivery of goods or have workmen park outside, it must have slashed thousands off the price of their property, so I hope Derby City Council will reduce their Council tax to compensate them. Simply ludicrous.
Pauline Vernon
Tue Mar 13 12:14:52 2007
I use the A6 to travel into and out of Derby for work every day. The new bus lane has improved the flow of traffic significantly on the inbound journey.
Kenneth Barnsley
Mon Mar 12 14:58:10 2007
I had the misfortune to have to travel down past the bus lane yesterday just before lunch time so during a quiet period. Still, who ever designed it seriously needs to be shot. Far too narrow for buses and is bound to course problems both directly on the A6 and the surrounding area.
Don’t know if anyone has noticed but there are huge stretches of pavement which could be used to extend the road both for buses and cars. I know local residence would not be happy but the Council will get crucified if there is a serious accident which is attributable to their pathetic attempt to introduce a bus lane.
Jon, Swanwick
Fri Mar 9 10:52:12 2007
I live in Darley Abbey and work in Castle Donington (Donington Hall). Driving to work is my only option. I'm sure many others are in the same situation, so this can't possibly encourage us to use public transport.
Nicola
Thu Mar 8 16:15:42 2007
i work for the emergency services in derby and having undertaken a blue light drive along this route,it is at best ill concieved and downright dangerous,there will be accidents
anon
Thu Mar 8 15:39:03 2007
This is making congestion even worse which in turn is doing more environmental damage which everyone seems to be so concearned about at the moment. Derby is expanding rapidly and the road network is falling apart. It takes me an hour to do a 12 mile journey 2 a day. using the bus is not feasable for me as it would involve a 2 mile walk and 2 bus changes costing nealy treble what my weekly petrol bill is and taking about the same ammount of time. When is the council going to realise they need to increase the road network in line with all the increase in businesses on pride park and in the town centre. Instead of patching up the old roads something drastic needs to be done. Which no doubt will end up costing hard working individuals another chunk of cash on top of all the various obviuos and stealth tax's we already pay.
Max
Wed Mar 7 12:00:15 2007
With the complete lack of an integrated public transport system in Derby - no bus station for starters - how is the bus lane going to entice drivers out of their cars?
I used to get the bus from Allestree to the Bus Station then on to Beeston where I work - no problem, but not anymore.
The trial is doomed to failure, or is it?
With the current and upcoming roadworks in the City of Derby - AKA NCP Derby City Carpark - it's all geared up for congestion charging by design - "there's too much congestion, we need to sort it out with congestion charging...etc etc repeat to fade."
Rather than messing around with bus lanes on stretches of road that don't actually need them, how about building realistic cycle lanes - not ones that start and end with no real purpose - and using some of the disused land within the city to provide a coherent temporary bus station of sorts.
Congestion charging in London works because there is a real alternative (I lived there for 8 years by the way) and the underground or bus is the best way to get around without exception - Derby does not have this infrastructure, therefore the charge would be a straightforward tax on the hardworking people of Derby.
It's all about engineered congestion - Red Ken did it in London by getting all the traffic light timings changed, basically to ensure that lights would stay on green for just enough time for one or two cars to get through...
Food for thought...
Andy
Wed Mar 7 01:11:39 2007
Yet again we hear a politition skirting round the real issues. His point about cyclists being able to use the footpaths summed up his real insight into the situation!!!! It is not just the responsibility of the bus companies to promote bus usage. Other Local Authorities spend vast amounts on promoting public transport. I admire the effort Simon is making on this issue. He clearly is in tune with the need for improved public transport but the safety of his family and those in the area has to be considered.
Sarah Nainby
Tue Mar 6 19:30:10 2007
I use this road each day to go to work.The road is wide enough to accomodate a bus lane but in my opinion the broken white single line that divides the two car lanes should be a double white continuos line as some motorists are taking chances in overtaking.
Geoffrey Bott
Tue Mar 6 14:03:15 2007
the bus lane is a great help regarding my commuting to work and i hope to see it has a permanent fixture, thank you
Jennifer
Tue Mar 6 13:38:11 2007
I agree that public transport needs to be cheaper for it to be a viable option. Trent buses run an incentive in Nottingham whereby you can by a monthly pass for as little as £28 depending on the length of the journey. Why not introduce similar discounts for Trent service users in Derby. It high time the government intervened and made it financially viable for bus companies to offer discount fares by offering them subsidies for the amount of "human traffic" they attract to become regular users of their services.
Geoff Capes
Tue Mar 6 12:35:39 2007
The bus lane would be fine if all right turns were banned and all bus stops on the north bound side were removed. Traffic flow is now badly impeded when a bus stops or a vehicle wishes to turn right.
John
Tue Mar 6 11:34:06 2007
One way to encourage people to use the bus would be to lower the prices. I live in Allestree and I think it costs something like £3.60 day return into Derby. Its cheaper to use my car and park for a nip into town. I do travel along this stretch of road at varying times and agree with others it will be more dangerous. Also though I have rarely queued on the bus lane stretch but always queue down to five lamps so how will the bus lane help buses get there more quickly?
Louise
Tue Mar 6 11:30:51 2007
For me to get a bus to and from work everyday for a week it would cost £19. I drive a 1.3 litre vw polo, it costs me about £1 a day to drive! WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO DO?
Danny, Hatton
Tue Mar 6 10:03:15 2007
Sean, If you read my note I say the bus lane is a great idea - I'm all for it,(I use the bus every day) just wary as a number of other people are - Off to get a life now :-)
Simon
Tue Mar 6 10:00:45 2007
Why would they want to make public transport more cost effective when cars are such a money spinner for them? You are taxed on petrol, use of your vehicle, not to mention the amount of fines that people pay for minor offences and of course the up coming congestion charges.
Derby Dave
Mon Mar 5 18:30:42 2007
councillor wynn stated in the interview that the Belper buses at 11 am are running late. If that is the case it isnothing to do with the traffic on THIS strech of Duffield Road because it is always running freely - as it is for the majority of the day during the week and all day every Saturday and Sunday.When the scheme was put forward I was concerned that the lanes would be too narrow. That does not appear a problem until you meet a cyclist on the North bound lane. It is Not safe (or legal) for the cyclist to ride on the pavement. the biggest problem for me as near-by resident and daily user of the route is trying to turn right from Duffieild Road onto Ferrers Way. You take your life in your hands every time. It is also dangerous to turn out of Ferres way into either direction because of the lay out of the junction.Please councillor Wynn give us credit for some intelligence over your stance with this and congestion charging.Why don't you come clean and tell us that both are forgone conclusions as is every otherhair brained scheme proposed by this council.
richard boden
Mon Mar 5 18:06:01 2007
I know where Simon lives and he and his family are putting themselves in harms way due to this plan. I completely agree with what he is doing. He is absolutely in favour of public transport but cares about local peoples safetly. Sean ( go and stand on Duffield Rd on the northbound pavement or take you bike and cycle up or down the road at 8.15am) I think you will see what all the fuss is about....if you live to tell the tale!
Carol Bindley
Mon Mar 5 17:40:20 2007
As a cycle commuter who uses this road every day, I don't see a problem. As long as cyclists adopt a positive road position - ie at least a meter and a half out of the gutter - vehicles will be forced to carry out a proper overtaking manoeuvre when oncoming traffic is clear. If there is oncoming traffic, they will have to wait. For me, it was far more dangerous cycling up the outside of queuing traffic to overtake. Now I will just zip up the bus lane and leave the car drivers to their frustrations. For the record, I never cycle on footways.
Andrew
Mon Mar 5 17:31:55 2007
Safety has to be an issue, the lanes are far too narrow and since it was single carriage way before the traffic queues will remain the same. I do not see that this will encourage people onto the buses. I can say adamantly that neither this or any form of conjestion charge will get me out of the car, I suspect this will be the same for many. Revenue raised from any charges will no doubt be wasted by the council.
peter
Mon Mar 5 17:26:19 2007
Chris Wynn Has just mentioned the lightness of the traffic. If that is the case why is there a bus lane in the first place? This whole scheme does not add up?
John Andrews
Mon Mar 5 17:21:58 2007
£100,000! For cyclists it is no improvement. Going into town no change. On the way out the narrow lanes are a problem. From being able to ride away from the gutter you now feel pushed into the side, either that or you hold cars (and buses up). Right turns are the new conjestion points.
Where are all the buses?!!
Nick, Allestree
Mon Mar 5 17:01:06 2007
People dont like change. They are comfortable in their little bubble and as soon as things dont go their way they moan as if the whole world is against them. The fact of the matter is that we live in a world where public transport is overlooked at being a viable option for people wanting to travel into the city. People are quick to complain when a journey which usually takes 5 minuites takes 1 hour due to congestion. This bus lane is a step in the right direction and helps people who want to use public transport as an alternative to their car to help this issue. No matter how much people complain, the fact remains that more people who were surveyed were for the bus lane then were against. In a democratic society that means those against it loose. No point whining about it now Broadway Action group... get on with your lives and worry about something more constructive.
Shameless Mick
Mon Mar 5 16:25:29 2007
this has now made the road dangerous for people who cycle which is far more environmentally friendly than catching a bus as the road is not wide enough for cars to overtake cyclists somone will be injured soon. If they want more people to catch buses try making it more cost effective to catch the bus than run a car!!!
Matt
Mon Mar 5 15:10:29 2007
The lanes are far to narrow!! They're probably standard width, but I do feel very edgy driving down there!
Jon
Mon Mar 5 14:52:48 2007
The bus lane is a great idea, however the safety of all road users needs to be closely monitored. Concerns - cycles leaving Derby, vehicles overtaking stopped buses.
Simon Aldridge
Mon Mar 5 14:01:45 2007
I live on Darley Park Road. Could someone from Derby City Council tell me how to turn right at the old Darley Abbey Post Office to go down Vicarwood Avenue - safely??
PeterH
Mon Mar 5 14:01:14 2007
I think this Simon guy needs to get a life and let this project get going for God sake. Its people like him that if anything new happens in Derby to promote a better life for everyone he jumps on the band wagon and has a go at it.
Sean
Mon Mar 5 13:44:48 2007
What about the school children in all of this - has anyone considered the safety of the 2 schools which are being affected by these changes?
Judith Marriott
Mon Mar 5 13:25:48 2007
Having bus lanes is all well and good. However as the city as a very poor public transport system commuters are not likly to be encouraged to transfer from car to bus. Until the public transport is brought back under the onwership and control of the Council these ideas will not be successful. the same can be said for road charging when that is attempted.
Richard T
Mon Mar 5 13:24:20 2007
One prolbem no one seems to have brought up is if you get any traffic now doing a right turn anywhere on this road which is hard at the best of times. Now the road will be block. How is the bus going to over take a cyclist on ither side of the road a peak times and as for Chis Wynn's coment that cyclist can use the pavment which as we know is an offence under the road traffic ac. All so travaling to work in a car costs me £10 a week way would I use a bus that would costs me £3.60 a day and I'd still have to walk 1/2 after the bus ride. Can we all live in the real world pleae
Roger
Mon Mar 5 12:57:37 2007
Is it not normal to have signage advising motorists that the speed limit has changed. Duffield road has changed from a 40mph to a 30mph (which I was not aware of, and I never saw any 'new speed limit in-force' signs as I drove down the road), I drove down Duffield Road on Friday at 40mph, and feel certain that I was clocked by a mobile speed camera!
Hayley
Mon Mar 5 12:51:17 2007
What's the problem? If motorists abide by the rules of the road there's no reason for there to be a problem. Difficulties arise when a few, who think they're above the law, start breaking rules and parking illegally in bus lanes or on double yellow lines. I hope the city council is ensuring there are plenty of traffic wardens patroling this area.
Derek O
Mon Mar 5 11:15:39 2007
