Lots of people have stopped using the buses due to the pandemic. Still 60% of normal usage.I wonder if there is quite the constituency for retaining dedicated bus lanes as there was pre-pandemic?Anyone with a car seems to be voting with their feet and driving instead judging by the traffic, and given the number of extra cars and vans on the roads now, perhaps they deserve the road space more - which they actually pay for via road tax.Maybe rather than abolish, TFL could reduce the hours of bus lane operation? (I hear the good people of The OC are already doing important work in that area.) And perhaps look at extending the exemptions too:- taxis can use bus lanes, but private hire vehicles currently can't, so open them to Uber;- delivery mopeds can use them, but delivery vans can't, so open them up to Amazon;- buses with more than 10 seats can use bus lanes, so open them up to people carriers with 7 seats.The extra road space will finally give room for cars to breath in Chiswick and if you buy a second hand van or people carrier, you get to use the bus lane anyway. Would it not also make sense for some of the surplus commuter bus routes to be rerouted to the A4? Having fewer buses going through Chiswick is good for everyone - the remaining buses will run faster, cars won't be impeded, it is safer for pedestrians and there will be less pollution which is already at danger levels thanks to the cycle lane.
Ed Saper ● 1985d