Kentish Express Ashford & District
Controversial bus gate may be axed
Transport chiefs could be set to scrap a controversial bus gate nearly 20 years after it was introduced.
The bollard in Beaver Road was installed near the junctions with Lower Denmark Road and South Stour Road after a consultation in 1997.
Only buses and taxis can access the road in both directions as the barrier blocks other road traffic going past the junctions with Lower Denmark Road and South Stour Avenue.
It means that motorists have been sent round the houses via Norman Road in order to access properties in Beaver Road and South Ashford.
The consultation beforehand found that of the 9,000 cars using Beaver Road each day, fewer than 3,000 actually stayed in the area to either park or use local businesses.
Residents supported a road closure, and 80% supported the case for a bus gate – but business owners were less convinced, with a majority preferring to keep the road layout the same.
But now Norman Ward Cllr Jenny Webb (Con) believes there is a strong enough case for the bus gate to be scrapped.
In a report submitted to the council’s Joint Transportation Board she wrote: “Installation of the bus gate has been an extremely controversial decision ever since its first induction. Residents have moved on and new businesses have opened causing greater traffic jams and unacceptable inconvenience for residents and businesses trying to access Beaver Road.”
She said there have been accidents after motorists tailgated buses and taxis and struck the bollard, the worst of which caused the fatality of a six-year-old boy in a car with his father in March 2000.
Now she has called for the bollard to be removed and the road opened up to all traffic for a six-month trial period and wants residents and businesses to have their say.
She added: “The bus gate is no longer a viable option for traffic restrictions in the area. It is outdated, constantly out of order for long periods of time, and as controversial as ever.”
The proposal will be discussed at the Joint Transportation Board meeting held in the council chamber in Tannery Lane at 7pm next Tuesday. The public are welcome.
Would you like to see the bus bollard removed? Write to Kentish Express, 34-36 North Street, Ashford TN24 8JR or email kentishexpress@ thekmgroup.co.uk