Buses win every time over ‘empty’ cars and their often selfish drivers
9:01am Tuesday 7th February 2012 in Comment
I WOULD worry seriously for the future of my preferred political party if Robert M Goodman (“Bus lanes will just add to traffic congestion in town of obstructions”, February 4) even considered voting Labour.
I have been driving since 1961, and, in my opinion, most drivers are not good drivers. More of them than ever before cut corners, disregard speed limits and honk at their fellow motorists if one should so much as slow down in order to manoeuvre safely.
The rationale for bus lanes is simple. Stand by any main road in the rush hour.
Do a vehicle count, and you will find that only about one car in every five has anyone in it other than the driver. That means that the passenger load for every 20 linear feet of highway is 1.25 people. By comparison, a single deck bus occupying less than three times that amount of road space carries upwards of 50 passengers, and a double deck vehicle can carry more than 70 passengers.
Applying the old utilitarian principle of securing the greatest good for the greatest number and the bus wins out every time over the car.
Motorists who, for their own selfish reasons, infringe upon highway space allocated for bus passengers deserve to be punished.
Peter Johnston Kendal Road Bolton
