Six years after it made local and national headlines, the controversial £1 million A367 bus lane on the approach to the Odd Down Park and Ride has come under the spotlight again. Now, there are calls for B&NES’ Conservative administration to take a look at this underused lane as a means of easing congestion for commuters from the local area.

In a question to the Council Cabinet last week, Councillor Karen Walker (Independent, Peasedown St John), called for the rethink. She said: “Currently, the people commuting into Bath from the Somer Valley in the morning frequently have to queue, sometimes as far as Peasedown St John. I do believe with some work, we could improve this situation.

“The bus lane, which starts on the plateau of the A367, is currently used for buses, taxis and bikes. I would like to see this lane moved to the middle and include the cars using the Park and Ride also. This is how it works in Brislington, with great effect. The traffic going into the city would therefore use the outside lane.”

The new bus lane was built in 2009, to much bemusement of locals and was branded a huge waste of money, costing a whopping £900,000 to purchase land and repaint tarmac consisting of just 700 metres of bus lane. The story made headlines in newspapers across the country and even had a mention in satirical magazine, Private Eye. Under Conservative rule then, as it is now, B&NES Council defended its decision, saying that the money spent was Government funds that could not be used for anything other than bus infrastructure.

But fast forward to 2015, and many believe this £1 million was not well spent, with the lane often empty and queues into the city longer than ever.

“We’ve seen little improvement after this frivolous spending of money, and now the council needs to rethink the use of this lane and the wider road layout in this area,” continues Cllr Walker. “At the present time, there is no incentive for commuters to use this Park and Ride, they even have to queue unnecessarily because of the current layout. Upon the approach to Bath, drivers actually have to drive past where they will be parking to be able to turn into the Park and Ride. The entrance is at the wrong end!

“With the Council spending excessive amounts of money in areas like Rossiter Road, London Road and Keynsham, it would be hugely welcomed if they decided to spend a bit of cash on this side of the city, too.

“With a strong desire to ease traffic congestion in and out of Bath, I’m disappointed that these practical suggestions for the A367 haven’t been given more support.

“I’d like to call on my fellow Somer Valley Councillors in Midsomer Norton, Radstock and Westfield to back these changes too. It’s for the benefit of all our residents.”

As part of their election manifesto, B&NES Conservatives said they would be looking at infrastructure in Bath and North East Somerset and local road networks, recently launching the East of Bath Park and Ride consultation and further work taking place on a Transport Strategy for both the Chew and Somer Valley. With thousands of people commuting to Bath every day across the area, The Journal has been asking if better use of this lane would be looked at as part of the Somer Valley Transport Strategy.

The Council has, indeed, agreed to take a ‘fresh look’ at the offending lane. Speaking this week, Cllr Anthony Clarke said: “Improving transport is one of our top priorities and we are always keen to look at ways of easing traffic, increasing road capacity and tackling bottlenecks – and this important route into Bath is no exception. The bus lane on the A367 was funded by the previous Labour Government, and there has always been a perception it is under-used, so it would be good if we could find a way of allowing more vehicles to make greater use of this road capacity.

“My understanding is that a previous study revealed there to be technical difficulties with moving this bus lane to the centre of the road, as this would mean buses having to re-join the left-hand lane at the roundabout, potentially causing additional hold-ups.

“Nonetheless, whilst there is no money in the budget we inherited from the previous administration to do any further work on it this year, I’m keen to take a fresh look at the issue as part of the Somer Valley Transport Strategy as this is developed.”

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