BUSES are having to swerve out of a new bus lane in Fishponds because vehicles have been banned from turning left at a busy junction.
The ban on the left-hand turn into Hockey's Lane from Fishponds Road came into force on February 6 and plastic cones and a sign were placed in the bus lane in an attempt to enforce the new measure.
It means that buses using the new Greater Bristol Bus Network (GBBN) route, which is unpopular with many residents and traders, have to leave the dedicated lane and move into the main lane of traffic, causing hold-ups on the already busy road.
Meanwhile, because of the ban on turning left, the traffic light sequence at the junction has also been changed.
This means that when traffic going straight on is given a green light, a pedestrian crossing across Hockey's Lane also turns green.
But this then causes a problem when vehicles flout the banned left turn – which is so far not being enforced in any other way apart from the cones and sign.
The Evening Post has seen pictures of near misses, where cars have nearly collided with pedestrians who think it is safe to cross.
The green light at the pedestrian crossing also shows that the left turn into Hockey's Lane has been banned to cyclists – as cyclists turning left could also hit people crossing the road.
It is not clear what alternative route shoppers, who used to turn left into Hockey's Lane to reach Morrisons supermarket, should now use.
It is also uncertain which route HGV drivers will use when making deliveries to the supermarket.
Other nearby roads include Station Road, which was re-opened by the council and during consultation with residents was named as the preferred route to Morrisons.
However residents claim the road was originally due to be widened but this has not happened.
Due to cars being parked up on each side of the road it is currently single-track.
Residents say that at formal consultation stage the GBBN team was proposing a 1.2mile detour via Lodge Causeway.
Another possible route to the supermarket could have been New Station Road but this has been blocked by a bus stop and is now only available to pedestrians and cyclists.
Other possible routes include Forest Road, which is narrow, and a complicated route which would see drivers turning right just past Hockey's Lane into Channon's Hill and crossing Fishponds Road into Hockey's Lane. David Mock, spokesman for the traffic and transport subgroup of the Greater Fishponds Neighbourhood Partnership, told the Post: "The council is very obviously blocking and slowing down buses so that cars and other vehicles don't turn left into Hockey's Lane.
"The cones are absurd – on the one hand the council put in a new bus lane to make bus journeys quicker, but now it's being blocked off.
"It's obvious that most drivers cannot understand why this ban has been implemented – I've seen quite a few near misses when pedestrians have tried to cross Hockey's Lane and have almost been run over."
Ward councillor Lesley Alexander (Conservative, Frome Vale) says she has received many inquiries from people who are confused about the banned turn.
"I've had so many people coming to me saying how ridiculous the ban is.
"I've asked the council so many times why it is needed, until I'm blue in the face, and I will continue to ask those questions."
A Bristol City Council spokeswoman said the cones had been placed in the bus lane on a temporary basis as part of other temporary traffic management signs to advise motorists that they can no longer turn left into Hockey's Lane.
She said that once the cones were removed early next week the enforcement of the ban will be in the hands of police.
When asked which alternative route motorists should take, she said: "For motorists heading along Fishponds Road into town alternative provision has been made via Station Road for left-turning vehicles, removing them from the general traffic approaching Hockey's Lane and therefore reducing congestion on that stretch.
"This provides pedestrians with a better crossing across Hockey's Lane and also helps to reduce congestion at the junction for cars and buses.
"If drivers miss the left turn into Station Road they can go round the gyratory but presumably drivers who know the area will not need to make this movement."
usda rural development loan business checking accounts land loan
0 comments:
Post a Comment