On Fri, 20 Jul 2007 13:05:32 +0100, "John Rowland"
wrote:

Paul Corfield wrote:

In the light of your comments you might be interested to read the
proposals here

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/proj...ions/5003.aspx

and perhaps send in some comments to TfL. Closing date 20 July 2007.

No disrepect to Paul, but TfL consultations are just for show. They have
already decided what to do. The high-profile consultation over the western
extension of the Congestion charge showed us Ken's vision of democracy. "If
voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal.", as Ken himself said when
he wasn't in charge. Viva Zapata!

I actually know where and how this consultation started and it was at
the suggestion of someone outside of TfL. TfL have decided to make a
decision on something that affects a lot of people but I believe they
are interested in views on this subject. We can all be as cynical as we
want to be about consultation and I'd agree that TfL's track record is
not ideal. However having been involved in commenting on the route 393
extension to Chalk Farm TfL have done a good job of writing to me to
tell be about the process, that they've received my comments, inviting
me to a public meeting, telling me about the consultation results and
acknowledging the wide range of views / opposition to the proposal. At
least they are trying and at least information is being put out in the
public domain which has to be better than before. I want to see all bus
service proposals treated in the same way but I might be waiting a while
for that to happen.

I have to say I have some severe doubts about the bus stopping proposals
because I doubt the bus companies can actually get the message to their
staff and that's where it will fall down in future (just as it so
demonstrably does today). I'm also struggling with the hail and ride
proposals because I think that the accessibility issues and the proposed
solutions will result in the de facto abolition of hail and ride. I'd
prefer that TfL just said that rather than pretend they and the highway
authorities can comply with the legislation and still have hail and ride
services. I use a few routes that are hail and ride and I think the
concept is very good and very convenient and I'd hate to see it go
because the people who value it most (often old people) would suffer
through the introduction of facilities that are apparently for their
benefit (fixed accessible boarding points but with a longer walk to
them).

--
Paul C