In Bath Liberal Democrats have been leading the campaign alongside parents and pupils to promote school travel systems using buses rather than parents ferrying kids around the city in cars.

The Conservative administration has put back consideration of the issue by several months. In the meantuime they are propagandising on Grid Lock Bath and trying to justify a costly new bus highway through people back gardens.

Everyone knows that the traffic jams reduce to near negligeable in the school holidays. Lets reduce traffic before building roads to give a small number of commuters a 2 minute travel time reduction.

For immediate release: Tuesday, 2^nd December 2008

 

Are Tories serious about home-to-school transport?

 

Liberal Democrat Councillors are questioning the Conservative-led Council’s commitment to developing a sustainable home-to-school transport package which has been shelved for at least another 9 months.

 

The strategy has been developed to get more children out of private transport and on to school buses on their way to and from school.  Currently parents find it easier and more cost effective to drive their children to school, thus adding to congestion across the district, and especially in Bath.  Liberal Democrats in Bath & North East Somerset see home-to-school transport as a key element of providing transport improvements in the city.

 

Leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition on Bath & North East Somerset Council, Cllr Paul Crossley (Southdown) said:

 

“This is deeply disappointing news, and makes me wonder whether the Conservative Council is as serious about congestion in Bath as it should be.

 

“Everyone who travels into Bath at peak times knows how much extra traffic there is during the school term.  Getting our children out of their parent’s cars and onto buses is a massively important step in reducing congestion in the city, yet it is being delayed for another year.

 

“It is even more concerning that the £16million Bus Rapid Transit is being forced through, whereas a project that will actually help to reduce congestion is being put on the back-burner.”

 

Cllr Andy Furse, (Lib Dem, Kingsmead) said,

 

“This project is of major importance in promoting sustainable transport in Bath and it is a massive blow to see it delayed for a year.

 

“Parents across the city want to be able to send their children to school on reliable and affordable public transport.  This decision by the Conservatives is a kick-in-the-teeth to these parents, and I want to know why this scheme will now be delayed until the 2009/10 academic year.

 

“I have real doubts as to whether the Conservative Council will ever deliver this crucial service.”