Bus Lane in Llantrisant Road? Print

Are you aware that Cardiff City Council is planning to remove both grass verges from Llantrisant Road in the vicinity of the BBC in order to install a bus lane?  Danescourt resident Stewart Burgess has written to the council expressing his alarm at the proposal.  

 

"Sir,
 
I am alarmed at the damage to the flow of traffic which will result from the implementation of this proposal.
 
I cannot see what possible benefit this proposal could make to the passage of buses along Llantrisant Road during the morning peak period and for the remainder of the day it will certainly serve no useful purpose whatsoever. During the morning peak period, two long lines of inbound traffic queue on the approach to the roundabout at the junction of Bridge Road with Llantrisant Road and this static traffic will effectively prevent any bus leaving the end of the proposed bus lane, unless the driver of the vehicle elects to 'force' a way out, which is hardly conducive to road safety. This would of course affect the already slow progress of the other traffic when the bus makes such a manoeuvre.
 
The proposed bus lane would be approximately 340 metres in length, or about the length of 50 cars, but it does not follow that the bus would be able to pass these almost static cars in the morning peak because of the problem the bus will experience at the exit to the bus lane.   
 
At this point I should also advise you that I believe the proposal could be illegal. Section 16 (1) of the Traffic Management Act 2004 states It is the duty of a local traffic authority to manage their road network with a view to achieving, so far as may be reasonably practical having regard to their other obligations, policies and objectives, the following objective(s)- (a) securing the expeditious movement of traffic on the authority's road network. Note here please the use by the Act of the word 'duty'. 
 
Notwithstanding the above, Llantrisant Road is served by two inbound buses travelling within one minute of each other at 20 minute intervals. It necessarily follows that this proposal could only be of benefit to about 6 or perhaps 8 bus journeys each day if it worked. If it did work, which I doubt, this hardly represents a valid cost benefit when compared to the cost of its construction. 
 
In summary I believe this proposal represents (1) a misuse of public funding and (2) is probably an illegal proposal. 
 

S M Burgess MBA BSc CEng CEnv FICE FCIHT MCMI."
Last Updated on Sunday, 16 June 2013 14:28