Sunderland must stop passenger decline
Page 22
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Sunderland Corporation transport committee has been urged by the divisional road engineer of the Department of the Environment to take more definite action to counter the decline in the number of people using public transport. The road engineer claimed that the Sunderland Traffic and Transport Plan lacked real proposals for arresting the steady deterioration in public transport.
Measures suggested include priority lanes for buses, the provision of more bus shelters and the inclusion of bus priority measures in future road improvement and traffic engineering schemes, but he believed it was essential that any assistance should be comprehensive. He also recommended consideration of pedestrian streets served by buses, contra-flow bus lanes and perhaps park and ride facilities.
After studying the engineer's report the transport committee decided to examine the possibility of a southbound buses only lane in North Bridge Street when the Wheatsheaf gyratory scheme comes into operation. Mr A. Wright. general manager of Sunderland Corporation Transport, claimed the plan would save 60,000 bus miles annually and give the buses priority over other forms of transport.