AMA's damage control
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• Highway authorities should be given more powers to curb bus routes and should have more money to repair streets damaged by heavy buses, says the Association of Metropolitan Authorities (AMA), The association has launched a survey of its members, which it believes will show a dramatic fall in inner road standards since bus services were handed over to private passenger service vehicle operators, following deregulation.
"Birmingham and Newcastle upon Tyne are the worst affected by bus damage," says the association's highways secretary Bob Bird.
"Both authorities have spent more than £320,000 mending roads damaged by buses which are too heavy."
Transport Secretary Paul Channon has recently rejected an appeal by Birmingham to curb the size of buses running on its side streets, despite recommendations from city inspectors who supported the restrictions.
Bob Bird of AMA says: "We are collecting information from several of our members.
"We also know that Stock port Tameside and Manchester highways authorities agree with stronger curbing powers. We hope once we have found out the severity of the problem something can be done to give highway authorities the power to restrict the size of buses on smaller roads,"