TREE FELLING A KNEE-JERK REACTION
September 26, 2005 6:50 AM
TREES TO BE FELLED IN KNEE- JERK REACTION
Following last week's accident in which a double decker bus lost its roof after hitting a tree in West Way, the Council has announced that two trees are to be felled this week. The trees in question do lean slightly towards the road and obviously represent a danger to the buses. Residents state that there are now far more double decker buses using the road.
Mike Brooke, ward councillor for Broadstone, claims this is a knee-jerk reaction which does not address the real issues facing residents in West Way. "There have been a number of other accidents in West Way recently and some of these have involved buses but neither the bus company nor the council have done anything. Now we are going to see two trees felled when other solutions are available and at a time when a more holistic approach is needed to resolve the problem. Removing the trees will actually allow the buses to travel even faster and this is not what is needed. One of the main points raised in my traffic calming survey was the speed of the buses and their involvement in several accidents. Why can't the route be restricted to single decker buses in the first instance, especially since many of the double decker buses are virtually empty anyway.
"There has been no consultation with either ward councillors or residents and I have already received comments from residents opposing removal of the trees because of the impact on the environment. It is of paramount importance that the issue of speeding traffic is addressed, and addressed now before someone is seriously hurt or killed. I have therefore already asked for a meeting with Transportation Services, the bus company and the police in order to discuss the issue fully and move an overall solution nearer to completion. What is clear is that residents want an all-embracing solution, which may or may not include felling trees, but they want it now".
What would you like to do next?
-
Subscribe for updates
Follow the party's activity on...
- Twitter:
- Liberal Democrats
- Facebook:
- Liberal Democrats
- YouTube:
- Liberal Democrats