Lib Dems renew call for changes to bus operations

9.43.51am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 25th May 2007

Brian Fiske, vice-chair of Darlington Liberal Democrats, has renewed his call for changes to be made in the way the bus company is allowed to operate within Darlington town centre.

In a letter to the Echo, sent on May 24th, he calls for an end to the practice of using Crown St and Priestgate as an on-street bus station and the introduction of an environmentally shuttle bus service, carrying shoppers around the town from a new or renovated bus station.

The letter in full:

"As recent correspondents have pointed out, the effective use of Priestgate and Crown St as a town centre bus station, with large, polluting buses competing with pedestrians for space on the edge of the Pedestrian Heart, is both dangerous and environmentally harmful. We are told that the bus company insist on using these roads, rather than a purpose-built bus station.

"Park-and-Ride schemes are being considered, in order to reduce the number of cars coming in to the town centre. We support this, but would point out that there will be a resulting increase in the number of buses in town, adding yet more congestion to these blighted streets, and further danger to pedestrians.

"Time now, surely, for the Council to take action. The bus company should replace these large diesel buses with smaller, electric powered buses operating out of a purpose built bus station, shuttling around the town centre delivering shoppers to their destinations without ruining our town centre streets."