BUS PRIORITIES - A SOLUTION TO URBAN CONGESTION

This paper briefly outlines the history and current development of bus priority in the UK with most examples being drawn from the London are a. Current transport policy is examined, particularly encouraging use of public transport and pedestrian priority. Details of a number of su stainable transport studies are given and the extent to which bus prio rity can contribute to these. The discussion then proceeds to look at intensified bus priority systems and roadspace reallocation. The concl usion drawn is that for bus priorities to have a substantial impact on urban congestion, far higher levels of priority are required than is currently the case. Such schemes would need to form part of sustainabl e development policies reallocating roadspace to public transport, cyc lists and pedestrians, thereby providing a viable alternative to the c ar for a higher proportion of trips.