Passengers first then residents
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A MIDLAND RED bus service may be re-routed because of public pressure.
In a reserved decision, the East Midland Traffic Commissioners have agreed to the service using a section of Castle Rock Drive instead of the north-western part of Oakham Drive following complaints from residents of Oakham Drive, in the Agar Nook Housing Estate, Coalville.
However, in their decision, the Commissioners said that it was rarely possible to decide a question of routeing on the basis of the opinion of those who lived along the line of the route — their interests had to be balanced against those of others living in the area to be served.
In the present case, there was no doubt that the service had been introduced to meet the needs of residents on a newer part of the estate and not for the benefit of the residents of the older part, so many of whom objected to its presence.
A number of alternative routes had been suggested, but all but one had to be rejected. The Castle Rock Drive alternative was preferable, however.
A census had shown that whilst the residents of the north-western section of Oak ham Drive were almost totally opposed to buses using it, there was a great demand from the residents of Castle Rock Drive not only for a service in the old part of the estate, but for one routed along the whole length of Castle Rock Drive, The Commissioners did not consider that the marginal difference in cost or the slightly less effective penetration of the estate was sufficient reason to reject the alternative.
They concluded by saying that the position should be reviewed within the next two years when other alternative routes may have become available. By that time, it would also be possible to assess the extent to which the use of the then existing route was justified in economic terms as well as in terms of amenity and convenience to the public.