A NEW 24-hour bus clearway in Hyde has been deferred as council chiefs look to establish whether it is worth having a stop there.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) grew tired of people’s parking making it difficult for drivers to access the stop at the junction of Clarendon Road and Bedford Avenue, opposite the site of the former Hyde Sixth Form College.
However, its application to install a clearway around the stop, with traffic not allowed to park there at all, has been deferred until a later date.
Tameside Council was approached by TfGM on behalf of Stagecoach, operator of the 346 service which goes along the road, after drivers found it hard to stop there because of residents parking their vehicles.
As a consequence, passengers were having to alight and embark while services are stopped in a live lane of traffic.
Jodie Hawkins, of Tameside Council, told a meeting of Tameside Council’s speakers’ panel (planning) committee: “Parking by the occupants of the properties was blocking buses’ access to the stop and they cannot use their lowering function.
“It’s one of our main routes through Tameside and Hyde. It was felt that while it would inconvenience residents, it was needed.”
And a report stated: “This is an unsafe practice as passengers cannot access the footway without going between parked vehicles as well as causing congestion on an already busy road.”
But after queries from councillors and complaints from a resident living in the area, more enquiries will be made before a formal decision is taken.
There were concerns that the implementation of a bus stop clearway would mean the loss of four or five on street parking spaces where residents do not have access to off street parking and where parking is already at a premium.
It was also suggested it is a disproportionate response, given that buses only need to access the stop for a couple of minutes at a time.
And it was asked that it be limited to hours during the working day only which would allow residents to park on the road in the evenings and overnight.
However, those appeared to have been shot down by council officers, who said in a report:
“Passengers using public transport should not be put in danger when using this bus service.
“Although it may be desirable there is no legal entitlement for a resident to park on the public highway outside their own property address.
“The public highway is provided for ‘the passage and re passage of vehicles.’
“Easy access on all bus services should be facilitated wherever possible. Accessing the bus from the footway is not only safer but also enables people with mobility problems to gain the height necessary to make access easier.
“And enquiries were made with the bus operator with regard to the bus stop clearway being introduced Monday to Saturday between the hours of 8am and 6pm but as this service operates between 6.51am and 11.20pm, the bus stop clearway is required to cover all operational times of day.”
Jodie Hawkins, who read out a statement from TfGM, added: “We understand parking is at a premium and there aren’t many places where they can.
“The accessibility of the bus is difficult without it being tight up to the kerb. People have to walk between parked cars – it’s just not possible sometimes with a buggy or if someone’s in a wheelchair.”
However, a majority of councillors at speakers’ panel voted to defer the bus stop clearway to find out whether it is worth having one there, or if the stop can be moved.