Birmingham Local Conservatives are calling on Birmingham City Council to open bus lanes to general traffic during the ongoing bus strikes by NX West Midlands. This move would alleviate congestion on the city's roads and provide some relief to commuters who have no option but to travel by car during the strikes.
Cllr Deirdre Alden (Con, Edgbaston), a vocal advocate for the measure, stated, "The bus lane on Harborne Road takes up a whole lane which until a few years ago was available to all traffic. This can cause congestion in the remaining two lanes at certain times during the rush hour. It seems pointless to keep one lane free for buses which aren’t currently running, particularly as queueing traffic causes more pollution. Many people currently have no option but to travel by car during a bus strike and the City Council should be doing all it can to help them at this time.”
Harborne Road in Edgbaston is an example of the need to open bus lanes to general traffic during the bus strikes. With the current situation, it is causing significant delays for motorists, which is only exacerbating the frustration of the public who are already dealing with the consequences of the ongoing strikes.
Cllr Matt Bennett (Con, Edgbaston) added:
“The traffic since the bus strike started has, unsurprisingly, been appalling. In this context it is ridiculous to see empty bus lanes, like the one on Harborne Rd, next to two lanes of cars crawling along. Everyone needs to be able to get to work, or get their kids to school as quickly as possible and we need to be making it easier for them to do so. We must open up the bus lanes to everyone until the strike is over, to keep this city moving.”
The Birmingham Local Conservatives urge the Birmingham City Council to act swiftly and open bus lanes to general traffic during the ongoing bus strikes. It is essential that the Council take all necessary measures to ease the congestion and inconvenience caused by the strikes and to support the people of Birmingham during this difficult time.
