REGARDING the St Ives bus stop battle, the county council has a habit of getting minor projects badly wrong.

The original width restrictions (on a bend) in Storey’s Way, Cambridge, remain as a memorial to Andy Walford. Unfortunately his successor, Bob Menzies, seems to be equally inept. He deserves this word because he wrote to me saying that “safety is not the only consideration”.

On the advice of the police I had asked for a road safety audit. The subsequent report recommended that the bus stop be located further down Station Road where it is wider. The report also advised that if the bus stop location was not changed, further parking restrictions would be needed in Station Road.

This means a Traffic Management Order imposing loading restrictions and making it illegal for blue badge holders to park in the area.

I asked for a special blue badge holder area in the car park adjacent to the bus station. St Ives Town Council had already requested one for part of Station Road, The Pavement and a small part of East Street.

The employees of the county council agreed to this way back in April but it hasn’t happened. Instead, prepared statements have been issued by, among others, County Councillor Kevin Reynolds, saying that the location was chosen because, among other things, no changes to existing parking arrangements in Station Road were needed.

On the morning of Monday, September 3, I spent nearly two hours close to the bus stop to observe for myself. At times it was a complete shambles, with vehicles unable to move in either Station Road or Market Street. Impatient drivers would overtake a waiting bus only to find they could not continue because there were vehicles trying to come from the other direction.

Outside Hyperion a number of blue badge holders had parked on double yellow lines, thus restricting the width of the road. As soon as the bus stop was put into use one businessman in Station Road started compiling a list of vehicles that mounted the pavement while passing a waiting bus. In one case a car actually drove along the pavement for some distance.

Long before construction work started I wrote to the chief executive of the county council. He chose Graham Hughes to deal with my complaint, and all he seems to have done was to pass e-mail messages back and forth between myself and Mr Menzies.

Mr Hughes should do the decent thing and fall on his sword. Mr Lloyd the Chief Executive should consider his position and there should be no room whatsoever for Mr Menzies.

I think I have enough evidence now to go to both the Local Government Ombudsman and the Audit Commission.

COLIN SANDERSON

Chairman St Ives & District Road Safety Committee

Cedar Road

St Ives