| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Time to reconsider the west london tram scheme | |
| Posted by: | Chris Veasey | |
| Date/Time: | 09/08/10 13:46:00 |
| The bus service in South Ealing - consisting of the 65 passing close to home and the E3 rather further away - is indeed not very generous, and for most journey purposes just doean't take me where I need to go without inconvenient and time-consuming interchange. Remedying that with a more comprehensive network with more routes in more directions would certainly be an encouragement to leave the car at home more and use public transport (though that wouldn't help those I have to give lifts to, some of who have seriously mobility impairing, tiring and painful infirmities) - but certainly not if I have to stand in the rain for an unknown and unpredictable length of time with no idea when (or if) the bus is coming. But even with all that sorted out, electrifying the bus route network by converting to a clean, quiet and comfortable trolleybus network would be a much greater incentive. How you can say that the much overhyped Routemaster buses were 'comfortable' is beyond me - I remember them as a frequent user only too well - eg I endured many unhappy hours commuting on them between Willesden and Hammersmith in the late 1970s, and they were no better than any other motorbus, particularly in winter when with defective or non-existent heating they were freezing cold on the long slow journey. Sorry but (many of) the rest of us are no longer in the dark ages and expect civilised conditions and information at bus stops. Shelters and other facilities have indeed been introduced 'gradually' - all too painfuly gradually over many years now running into decaades. It's not good enough and there's no reasonable excuse for it. Even worse, in some places in recent years, notably South Ealing, existing shelters and seating have been actually REMOVED from stops (or the stops moved away from the shelters, which subsequently disappeared). To those that expect me to use public transport in view of that attitude, when I have something buch better and more civilised available, I say (as shouild anybody with any self-respect) "Don't call us, we'll call you". BTW the old trolleybus systems (certainly the ones I knew and used, which did not include London) were no more segregated from traffic than motorbus services. There were of course no such thing as bus lanes or any other bus priority measures in thosm days. And there's still no reason in the modern age why trolleybuses HAVE to treated differently in that regard from motorbuses - they can benefiit from the same bus lanes and other priority measures, and do not need hugely expensive and disruptive segregated transitways, though those are nice to have (for trolleybus or motorbus services) where there's the opportunity and they can be afforded, AND where they won't cause unacceptable problems for other road users and/or requirem property demolition or otherwise wreck the townscape. |