Bus service wins council backing
A MOVE to make Boston's "Into Town" bus service permanent has been endorsed by borough councillors.
During Boston Borough Council's annual meeting on Thursday, members voted 17 to six to recommend Lincolnshire County Council continues with the service.
That was despite calls from some opposition councillors to either delay making a decision or to impose a limit on the times when buses were allowed to run through the Strait Bargate pedestrian precinct.
Coun Brian Rush accused the ruling Boston Bypass Independents Party of "not listening to the people of Boston", who he claimed did not want buses to go through the precinct.
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He said this was proved by a survey he did in Strait Bargate on May 13, which resulted in 422 votes against the route and 164 for it.
Coun Rush appealed for further consultation to be done into the issue and was backed by Coun David Owens, who urged members not to "ignore the will of the people".
Coun Raymond Singleton-McGuire said buses going through Strait Bargate had adversely affected businesses in the area and posed a safety risk.
He suggested the vehicles be limited to going through the precinct only before 9am and after 4pm, and at other times be diverted along other routes.
Council deputy leader Coun Peter Jordan dismissed this plan, claiming when the buses had used alternative routes during May Fair, the schedule "was in chaos".
Comments
by s simpson, Boston
Tuesday, June 02 2009, 1:49PM
“Dear Mike Sheridan-Shinn
Thank you for your reply and also for doing a poll on your blog page - I find the results extremley interesting, 94% of the votes AGAINST the bus route through the 'pedestrianised' area of our shopping area.
Need I say more?”
by Brian Willard, 35, Norfolk Place, Boston
Friday, May 29 2009, 6:10PM
“My relatives,who reside in the South of England,say that they understand that English is not the main language spoken in Boston, however, they find it difficult to reconcile street signs stating ' Shopping Area, Pedestrian Zone. No Vehicles' and then have to jump out of the way of a Bus which they state in the rest of the country is regarded as a vehicle.”
by MIKE SHERIDAN-SHINN, Pen St, BOSTON
Tuesday, May 26 2009, 3:51PM
“I totally agree with S. Simpson's comment above. I too have always been concerned about the buses going through the precinct, and I am dreading the day that there might be an accident. I am very concerned to hear of the case of the lady on the scooter, and I feel very saddened that people with children may be put off coming to shop in the town centre. I have young children myself and it isn't always easy to get out of the way of the buses.
Apart from this, the bus service is a very welcome improvement to the town's public transport infrastructure. I am very interested to hear that the service may be better routed via John Adams Way.
I HAVE INCLUDED A POLL AS SUGGESTED BY S.SIMPSON. IT IS ON MY BLOGSPOT. http://votemikesheridan-shinn.blogspot.com/
PLEASE vote in this poll, and I will share the results with the Council. If elected I am keen on getting the service extended to serve Downtown, any thoughts on this?
Mike Sheridan-Shinn (LIBERAL DEMOCRAT CANDIDATE, BOSTON EAST AND PILGRIM).”
by s simpson, Boston
Tuesday, May 26 2009, 2:29PM
“Peter Jordan has been told totally different information to me with regard to the bus service being thrown into chaos! the story I got from someone who works for Brylaine said they ran better to time using John Adams Way whilst the fair was here than going through the precinct!
I personally know of many people who will not come to the town to shop now, young mothers with children, elderly people, one friend in particular has a mother with a mobility scooter and got caught out by lots of people outside Curtis sandwich shop (narrowest point of precinct) on her scooter, she could not find a safe place quick enough and was greeted by the bus bumper 2 feet from her PIPPING his horn!!, needless to say that was her last visit to the town. To add to the rest of it I do not know where Brylaine recruit there drivers from but common sense, politeness and compassion are obviously not part of the criteria required for the job!
Come on Boston Borough Council, show you do care a little bit what your voters voted you in for, do a proper poll, either on your website, through the Target, Standard etc so each and every person these buses effect can vote yes or no to them ramming there way through our 'pedestrianised' precinct, is that too much to ask, or are you frightened what the voters say? it would only be fair to bring in an independent collector of the votes of course, so no figures can be massaged!
On a personal note I have never used this new bus service and never will whilst it curses our pedestrian areas, but I think the service is a wonderful idea until somebody was not thinking what they were doing and had not read the map properly, yes this once had traffic through it, but was stopped years ago! I await the chance to cast my vote to keeping the bus service, but keeping out of bargate!!”