-
It relies heavily on the
existing road system with new bus lanes and bus priority measures
aggravating the congestion. Our major roads frequently face gridlock due
to incidents both locally and several miles away. This will make a
reliable timetable hard to achieve and lead to poor customer support.
-
It’s high-speed section
bypasses the areas in greatest need of public transport typically the
A505 corridor. We are told that visitors to the Luton & Dunstable
Hospital from Luton town centre will have a 7bph dedicated service on
Translink and a 7bph non-Translink service. How is this comparable with
existing services of 20bph? In simple terms, this represents a reduction
of about 30%. It would be more convenient for bus users if the existing
bus services were enhanced with a park-and-ride facility to avoid the
current parking deficit at the hospital.
-
The current plans show
limited penetration into South Bedfordshire where the future needs could
be significant. It is difficult to understand why airport passengers
would chose to pay to use Translink from Luton Parkway when this is
currently a free service.
-
There is no capacity for
freight and only minor attempts to restrict greenhouse gas emissions.
-
The construction works will
take 3 – 4 years and involve the movement of many thousands of tonnes of
building materials. Drinking water extraction points are likely to be
contaminated by run off from the massive concrete structures required
for a busway.
-
There is no proven
comparable system operating in the UK and this will be used as an excuse
for late completion and a failure to meet capacity targets. Safety
concerns particularly with snow or ice in the concrete guideway lifting
or blocking the guide wheels could leave the drivers with sudden major
steering problem. Rail designs are however fully proven.
-
More drivers are required
for a bus service and recruitment difficulties are already a problem for
local bus operators. This will make the Busway more expensive to operate
than a train system.
-
The main beneficiaries of
this scheme would appear to be the shops in Luton Town centre. This
could further diminish trade for the struggling town centres of
Dunstable & Houghton Regis.
