Translink

Luton Translink Busway – Proofs of Evidence (cont'd)

Letter to Persona Associates from South Beds FoE members Peter Hatswell and Roger Pepworth, 2005

Luton Borough Council Transport Performance

In the last 3 years, the performance of Luton Borough Council in its Local Transport Plan has progressed from a “weak” to an “average” score in comparison to other local authorities¹². They have not shown that they are capable of managing minor let alone major projects and that we would be safer to put our trust in a national body, such as Network Rail and use tried and tested technology.

Luton Borough Council has tried to answer the questions in our initial statement but always from the perspective that a busway is the only solution. By quoting a cost/benefit analysis for a busway (which only just positive and within the tolerance of error) does not rule out other schemes¹³. Because the large Translink buses cannot access smaller estates, there is no strategic advantage of using a busway with small bus feeder services over a rail shuttle with the same services. Both modes require a mode interchange at the Luton stations – unless someone has the foresight to link the branch line with the main line.

Bus Patronage and Performance

In 2004 LBC have failed to achieve targets in reducing crime on buses, increasing numbers of passengers on buses and reducing car use of airport employees¹⁴. Bus use in the plan area is in line with a regional drop of 2% (2003/2004) which does not make achieving passenger targets on the busway and providing best value for money any easier. Rail use in the Eastern area rose by 4% in the same period¹⁵.

Conclusion

The main thrust of the Local Transport Plan is to create modal switches. The Translink Busway, even on Luton Borough Council’s own figures provides a derisory change from car to bus and is certainly not an efficient use of tax payer’s money. It is the opinion of South Beds FoE however that the Plan would stand if the rail link with small flexible feeder buses were substituted for the busway.

Peter Hatswell, Transport Activist

Roger Pepworth, Chairman

South Bedfordshire Friends of the Earth

12. LTP settlement letters 2003 page 2 & 2004 page 1.

13. LBC letter to S Beds FoE – A Aldridge - 25 Oct 2004 Ref OBJ/325.

14. LTP Annual progess report 2004 p57, 62 & 72.

15. Regional Transport Statistics (DfT): 2004 tables 2.1 & 2.8.

National

Friends of the Earth

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