Focus on rationalising bus lanes and opposition to the tram

All bus lanes would be reviewed and some would be scrapped altogether under new plans launched this week by Conservatives on Ealing Council. This pledge, which also includes proposals to standardise all bus lane operating days and times, would be implemented if the Conservatives take control of Ealing Council in May's local elections.

Every existing and agreed bus lane would be reviewed in the Borough; where any existing bus lane fails to meet the key objective of improving traffic flow and significantly decreasing bus journey times, it would be removed. The Conservatives would immediately abolish the bus lanes along Church Road , Mandeville Road , Petts Hill and Yeading Lane in Northolt. They would also formally request that Transport for London remove the bus lane from the section of Church Road, Northolt that comes under their control. For those bus lanes that remain, the Conservatives would introduce standardised bus lane operating times across the Borough. Any 24 hour bus lanes would be abolished as would all bus lane operation on Sundays.

Cllr Jason Stacey , Leader of the Opposition, said: 'Bus lanes have been and continue to be introduced across the Borough with little thought to how it will impact upon all users of our roads. Bus lanes in many places have simply failed to achieve what they were designed to do and reduce significantly bus journey times. All they seem to have done in some areas is cause more traffic congestion and the additional impact this has on pollution and air quality'.

'Nowhere is this more apparent than in Northolt and this is why we have pledged to immediately remove the bus lanes along Church Road , Mandeville Road , Petts Hill and Yeading Lane . All other bus lanes will be reviewed straight away and where they do not fulfil their purpose effectively, we will remove them'.

'Many motorists have said to us that the differing operating times of bus lanes causes confusion, to the extent whereby that motorists do not drive in the bus lanes even when they are not in operation. It seems sensible that all operating times are standardised so that no matter where motorists are in the Borough the same times will apply'.

Conservatives on Ealing Council have stated that if they take control of Ealing Council in the May elections, they would reverse Ealing Council's current policy on the proposed West London Tram. The current administration on Ealing Council are supporters of the controversial scheme and agreed last year to become 'joint promoters' in cooperation with Transport for London . The Conservatives have pledged that an administration under their control will end this and Ealing Council would become opponents of the scheme, bringing it into line with the positions adopted by the neighbouring boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham and Hillingdon.

January 17, 2006