ALL CHANGE ON ROUTE 38 (Islington Liberal Democrats)

Islington Liberal Democrats <Islington_ld@cix.co.uk>

ALL CHANGE ON ROUTE 38

August 22, 2005 4:33 PM

Islington Council wants to hear local residents' views about proposed improvements to the streets along the number 38 bus route.

Transport for London (TfL) is proposing a number of changes to the route, such as moving crossings, extending bus stops, and changing pavement layouts. The council is working to get the best deal for local residents, drivers and shopkeepers along the route, which runs along Balls Pond Road, Essex Road, Angel and Rosebery Avenue, but needs to hear from local people to make sure they can make the best case for Islington to TfL.

Cllr Bridget Fox says:

"Despite the Council's objections to turning the route 38 buses into bendy buses, Transport for London have decided to go ahead with the plans anyway. This means that they are going to have to make changes and improvements to the streets on the route to accommodate the new buses. Even though we didn't want the bendy buses, we are determined to get the best out of the money TfL will be spending on improving the streets on the route.

"Particularly important are issues such as parking and loading outside local shops such as those in Essex Road. We think that TfL should listen to local views and accept that extended bus lanes don't work in every location. We need to hear from those who live, work and travel along those roads what they want so that we have a strong case to present on behalf of local people."

The new bendy buses will come into operation on 29th October. This follows a Transport for London consultation earlier this year where the council objected to the change.