376 / 605 BUS ROUTES

Many residents especially the elderly and parents of school children are very concerned about changes made to the above bus routes. I understand these concerns and along with my fellow Oscott Councillors and Khalid Mahmood MP I am actively campaigning to try and get the private bus companies and Centro to have a rethink on the matter. (They have agreed to review these routes later this year)
I have explained that it was not the Governments intention that residents with no transport should be badly effected to provide better main bus route services to get car owners to use the bus. In today's world efficient transport is needed to help combat the greenhouse effect but this should be to help improve bus services for all.
I have also asked that Estate Buses (sometimes called Bus Hoppers) be considered where there is no alternative. These link housing estates to main shopping areas and other popular bus routes.
There needs to be real vision when it comes to public transport and what has happened regarding the alteration of a number of bus routes shows more needs to be done to get public transport higher up the agenda.

NEW YEAR STILL LACK OF ACTION?

We are now well into the New Year and depressingly there is still no news about any action being taken by the Council on many important issues in Oscott.
No much needed sensible traffic calming measures on roads like Queslett Road, Aldridge Road, Cooksey Lane Birdbrook Road, Duneding Road, Old Oscott Lane and so on.
There is no sign of action regarding the need for new fencing on the Burford Road Playing Fields either.
There is progress being made however in establishing the new rat run in Booths Lane, this could well be in place later this year, I hope those in support of this are pleased.
On a brighter note
My Colleagues Councillor John Cotton, Barbara Dring and myself have pushed the Councils Tree section into pruning the trees in Tresham Road properly (better late than never.) They have also finally agreed to prune the trees in Burnham Road later this month.

WHAT HAPPENDED TO OUR CONCRETE CARRIAGE WAY REPAIRS?

Residents keep asking me what has happened to the improvements to the concrete carriage ways and traffic calming measures, they feel they were promised last May in various letters. These letters came from a Cabinet member for Transportation and his local representative just before the last local elections.
The short answer to this is not much but what did you really expect from such blatantly opportunist correspondence?
For many years my colleagues and I have been trying to persuade the Council to look into the situation regarding the state of such roads as Dunedin, Southgate,Templeton and many others, to no avail. As is traditionally now the case, interest in such issues appears like magic in some political material wishing to gain a cheap political advantage just before elections, but luckily residents soon see through this.

You may be assured I will continue this battle all year round and however long it takes. I will make no other promises unlike some, other than to do my best on behalf of the residents who use these roads to get something done.

WELOME TO MY NEW BLOG

Hello and welcome to my new blog in which I hope to keep you informed of what I am up to, in the way of representing the residents of Oscott.
There will also be items regarding the activities of the Friends of the Queslett Nature Reserve, which I have the honour, to be Chairman of.