Bus stop clearways on Newlands Park

[stone-penge]

Stone Penge and Tommy

Let's try to introduce a note of reality into this discussion.

We surely have to face up to the fact that Newlands Park isn't some backwater. It's a throroughfare - the "main road" between central Sydenham and Penge - with major bus routes along its length. It isn't enough to say that it's residential (tell me a road in SE26 that isn't) or that there's more traffic going down the road than two years ago (tell me a road in SE26 where this isn't the case).

I'm all for restricting the motor car. But I'm not silly enough to believe that the local population will accept that you should "block off" this road as Tommy would clearly like to.

Don't hide away from the central issue of this scheme. Are you in favour of allowing Newlands Park residents to park all over bus stops and within 10m of road junctions. If you aren't how do you intend to stop this.

Road calming is an entirely separate (and perfectly sensible)discussion. But the one we are discussing here is whether buses should be free to stop at bus stops which are free of illegally parked cars.

Talking of reality, you appear to be under the delusion that there are currently any restrictions that prohibit the parking of cars at the aforementioned bus stops, maybe, if you lived on this road you could educate yourself and see that this is not so.

[nasaroc]

No, I am fullly aware that the Highway Code only restricts parking "on top of" a marked-out bus stop or on a bus clearway.

At the moment we only have a marked-out bus stop outside the shops on Newlands Park. But any motorist who parks right up against a bus stop marked on the road knows very well that buses will not be able to pull in next to the kerb because their car is in the way - and that's exactly what is happening at the bus stop by the shops on Newlands Park.

If residents can't behave reasonably when parking at this spot, then bus clearways (like the ones which work very well further up the road by Penge East Station) are the only alternative.

If you have an alternative solution, so that buses can stop next to the kerb at this spot without the introduction of a clearway, please let us know what it is.

[stone-penge]

No, I am fullly aware that the Highway Code only restricts parking "on top of" a marked-out bus stop or on a bus clearway.

At the moment we only have a marked-out bus stop outside the shops on Newlands Park.

No we don't , there is currently no bus stop markings at this stop.

But any motorist who parks right up against a bus stop marked on the road knows very well that buses will not be able to pull in next to the kerb because their car is in the way - and that's exactly what is happening at the bus stop by the shops on Newlands Park.

If residents can't behave reasonably when parking at this spot, then bus clearways (like the ones which work very well further up the road by Penge East Station) are the only alternative. .

The residents, or rather the commuters who park here and walk to the station or to the Metropolitan Police offices , are behaving perfectly reasonably in parking where they are legally allowed to do so.

[nasaroc]

I fully accept that currently cars owners have a legal right to park all over the bus stop. My point is that this is not reponsible behaviour and that it can only lead in one direction - to a bus clearway which can be legally enforced.

The proposal in front of us is to introduce a bus clearway which gives buses proper access to the stop. Do you have an alternative solution to introducing a bus clearway at this spot?