EYMS calling for action on parking in Hull's bus lanes
A BUS firm says traffic wardens need to get tough on motorists who park irresponsibly in bus lanes.
Hull's big two bus companies, EYMS and Stagecoach, have already asked Hull City Council to ban any vehicle, except taxis, from using the bus lanes from 7am to 7pm.
-
Calls: Bob Rackley, commercial manager at EYMS, at the firm's premises in Anlaby Road, Hull. Picture: Peter Harbour
But Bob Rackley, commercial manager at EYMS, believes further measures by the local authority are needed.
He said: "Part of the reason for buses being delayed is because cars and vans park in bus lanes.
Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk
View detailsOur heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.
Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk
Contact: 01858 468192
Valid until: Friday, May 31 2013
"Clearly, there is little point making bus lanes just for use by buses from 7am to 7pm if our vehicles are held up by cars and vans parked in them.
"So we need action to be taken against those drivers."
At the moment, three main bus lanes in Hull – in Beverley Road, Holderness Road and Anlaby Road – are restricted to buses only at rush hour.
Last month, when the bus companies put the request to council road chiefs, it was claimed motorists regularly ignored the rules and drove in bus lanes during prohibited hours.
However, motorists have contacted the Mail to criticise the firms and question the need for the hours to be extended.
David Buckell, of Preston, said: "I can't understand why EYMS wants to keep the bus lanes clear of cars.
"I can't see a problem because on my daily use of the roads around Hull, car drivers don't use the lanes outside of the given times.
"Either they don't know the rules or just can't be bothered and are prepared to sit in long lines of traffic when the left-hand lane is empty."
David Fenwick, of Burstwick, said: "All cities need good public transport policies but continually prioritising one over the other is not good policy."
But Mr Rackley, whose firm is calling for cameras to catch those who flout the rules, insists making the lanes exclusive to buses during the day is the best way to increase efficiency and encourage more people to ditch the car.
It is understood Hull City Council officers plan to visit Nottingham, where cameras have been installed and are now self-funding from fines given to motorists.
Mr Rackley said: "Our proposal is as much about parking control as it is about extending the hours of the bus lanes. It's clear we need to be targeting those drivers who choose to park in bus lanes, too.
"Often, traffic, including buses, has to pull into the outside lane because cars or vans are parked there. We regularly see it."
According to EYMS, Holderness Road in east Hull is one of the problem areas.
Mr Rackley said: "We accept there needs to be some compromise – vans, for instance, will need to be able to offload deliveries to shops."
Graham Hall, assistant head of service for asset and transport management at Hull City Council, has said he is looking at the "possibility of additional bus priorities".
Comments
by HullMostyn
Monday, November 12 2012, 12:50PM
“by fredflinty
Sunday, November 11 2012, 5:42PM
"Hullmostyn,
Seems to me you like telling porkies,
Check this freedom of information response from the council out.
http://tinyurl.com/avxpv2a
£342k a year so it only takes 3 yrs to go over a million, if you re-read what i posted earlier i don't mention per year.
you also said only 3 routs are subsidised yet the FOI clearly states 13.
Please tell me the 13 bus routes in Hull that are paid for by the council.”
by Tiree_Auto
Monday, November 12 2012, 12:44PM
“Of course though, if more people used the buses then the queues would be shorter. A lot of people are just too bone idle to walk to and from bus stops and too misanthropic to sit near other people.”
by Tiree_Auto
Monday, November 12 2012, 12:36PM
“RobTenerife, if you read the story rather than rush straight to the bottom to comment after just reading the headline, you would have read that the cameras would pay for themselves as they do in Nottingham:
"It is understood Hull City Council officers plan to visit Nottingham, where cameras have been installed and are now self-funding from fines given to motorists."
See?”
by RobTenerife
Monday, November 12 2012, 12:01PM
“So what they are really after is no parking on any of the the bus routes with two lanes and making them just for buses/taxis permanently and then fine any motorist who uses them. Who is going to pay for the cameras and the upkeep of them, the bus and taxi companies, I don't think so. If thats what they want let them have it but make them pay for it, they will soon drop the idea when its time to relay the road surface and they have to find the money.
It is a public road which motorists pay road tax to use, we have to wait in queues why shouldn't they.”
by jackboo2011
Sunday, November 11 2012, 9:23PM
“hullmoystn you are so right everyday i get a minimum of 5 people walk out in front of me and then are upset that you have dared to use your horn as in the highway code to warn other road users of your presence and then they give you a load of abuse like they have a right to j walk and stop all the traffic because they are on their way to cash convertors”
by jackboo2011
Sunday, November 11 2012, 9:18PM
“tosh1958 where exactly is the single carriageway with a bus lane as you are wrong there is no dedicated bus lane on a single carriage way”
by JoePS
Sunday, November 11 2012, 6:09PM
“Why does he talk like it's a given he's getting 7-7 use of bus lanes exclusively for his private company? It simply does not need to happen, as numerous others have said, many drivers don't use them when not in operation anyway so how could enforcing that make it any better?
What does need to happen is enforcement of the Anlaby Road bus lane when in operation just before the junction with Walton Street which is heavily ignored. It can be a real pain rejoining the road here as all those abusing it keep you out.
Cars can park in them when not in operation, and I see no problem with this. Perception - when you see something is parked in it, begin to make you move out into the other lane. (OK, if there is a bus stop between you and blockage, it can be more difficult). Cars can park on normal single carriageways, should we ban this because it makes EYMS upset?
EYMS just want to blame somebody else for their failings in running a successful bus company.
Why don't people want to use buses?
They smell - not specific to EYMS, but Stagecoach have some really old buses that smell of damp and mould, it's very unpleasant
They're cold - especially early in the morning
Three or more of you? Cheaper to get a taxi or drive your own car
Inconvenient - people don't run to the same schedules as buses
Full - During peak times specifically, the buses are often full on major routes, meaning you have to stand or are left at a bus stop in the rain”
by fredflinty
Sunday, November 11 2012, 6:00PM
“Hull Mostyn
the scheme for pentioners may be free nationally but HCC subsidise it at peak times making it free for pensioners and the disabled.”
by fredflinty
Sunday, November 11 2012, 5:42PM
“Hullmostyn,
Seems to me you like telling porkies,
Check this freedom of information response from the council out.
http://tinyurl.com/avxpv2a
£342k a year so it only takes 3 yrs to go over a million, if you re-read what i posted earlier i don't mention per year.
you also said only 3 routs are subsidised yet the FOI clearly states 13,
I don't think it's the people of Hull who are thick,
but a quick glance in the mirror may tip you off who is.”
by HullMostyn
Sunday, November 11 2012, 2:18PM
“Hull City Council pay for three bus routes, the 1C, the 46 & the 50. Everything else the two major operators run within Hull is commercail. The only other subsidising is the money the council pay to bus companies for pensioners to travel for FREE !! (Again this is national, not just Hull)
As for Holderness Road, if a bus lane was on a single carriageway, pray tell where would other traffic go when it was in use?
And I ride a bike and sometimes drive a car and I see most bus stops around this city with the way car drivers park right upto the yellow box are impossible for buses to get in, or out of !”