Opinion by Mail columnist Ian Midgley.
To paraphrase Edwin Starr: "Bus lanes. Huh. What are they good for? Absolutely nothing. Say it again."
When the news filters through – you know, like traffic doesn't when there's an empty bus lane blighting your local traffic blackspot – that the local planning numpties are about to unleash yet another gridlock-inducing road scheme in Hull, it fills me with despair. The thought of them turning Spring Bank West – already a congested route – into an even bigger bottleneck by turning one of its two lanes into a bus-only route, makes me fear for the future of the city and its ever-suffering motorists.
Where do these planning-types get their ideas from?
Do they actually spend any time in Hull, trying to travel around the city?
The evidence would suggest not.
Anyone with eyes can see that all the current bunch of bus "priority" lanes do is help bring Hull to a grinding halt. Look at Beverley Road, Holderness Road or the impossibly futile, jam-inducing, Anlaby Road bus lane.
It's almost impossible to escape the city centre on a night as it is, mainly due to the cack-handed vision of our local road planners.
Seriously, if there is anyone in the Highways department who has the bottle to come in and have an on-the-record chat about the utter, brainless decision to stuff up another of Hull's last remaining (barely) flowing arteries then feel free to drop by.
I'd love to give you a right of reply.
