McNamara no to Glasgow
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In to Interleasing
• Scottish Traffic Commissioner Hugh McNamara has refused to impose traffic regulation conditions designed to reduce the number of buses using Glasgow City Centre.
Strathclyde Regional Council requested the imposition of conditions, to cut the number of buses in the central area by one third, following a complete standstill of traffic in the city centre on October 11 of last year.
The proposals have been opposed by Strathclyde Buses, seven members of the Scottish Bus Group and McGills Bus Service of Barrhead.
During last week's public inquiry, McNamara was told that the Bus Group would accept any of the proposals provided that there similar service reduction by Strathclyde Buses. Strathclyde Buses however, claimed that they had considerably reduced their services compared to before deregulation, and any further reduction
would have severe financial consequences.
Malcolm Buchanan, a director of Colin Buchanan and Partners, reported that a survey by his firm showed that the major source of congestion in the city was the parking of private cars — some 82% of that parking being illegal — and a curtailment of parking would solve the problem. In his decision, McNamara said there was no evidence of any danger which traffic regulation conditions could be used to prevent. Recent accident figures appeared to show an increase but did not support an upward trend in bus-related accidents.
He could also not safely conclude from the evidence that congestion was either severe or likely to continue. Nothing like the conditions of October 11 have been reported since. Even if he was wrong, reducing the number of buses would not necessarily produce a corresponding reduction in congestion since other traffic might well flow in to fill the gap.
The introduction, however, by the Regional Council, of a Traffic Management Scheme would go a long way to reducing congestion even with the present number of buses.
McNamara does not accept that it is necessary to impose traffic regulation conditions, simply because the Region Council is unwilling or unable to use its powers.
He said he could not be satisfied that there is severe traffic congestion and even if there is he could not be satisfied that traffic regulation conditions were required to reduce it to a more tolerable level. • Contract hire and fleet management specialist Interleasing (UK) has taken on four new staff members at its London branch.
Debbie Ellis is to be sales consultant, responsible for new fleet business in West London and "silicon valley".
Also joining the Lincoln's Inn Field office as sales consultants are Richard Hartley, who will cover Essex, Hertfordshire and North-East London, and Clifford Gorman, who takes over South-East London, Kent, Sussex and part of Surrey. Crispian Faux comes in as trainee sales consultant.
Former Austin Rover Group area fleet sales manager Nick Brownrigg completes the new intake; he will handle fleet business in South-West London.