Category: travel

THERE are currently temporary traffic lights both ways at Haddenham Road, in Kingsey, near Thame, the A4129.

Work is expected to continue until October 18, 2010.

FOLLOWING controversial changes to the route to be taken by the 280 bus through Haddenham, representatives from Arriva and Transport for Buckinghamshire will be attending a meeting on September 15, (7-9pm) in the Haddenham Community Junior School hall, Woodways, to answer questions from villagers about the changes, due to take effect on Sunday, September 12.

In an update form Christina Jeffery, from Haddenham, she explains that Arriva says that they have ?withdrawn the service from the Church End ‘leg’ due to the need to maintain reliability on the 280 service? – they have a legal duty to run 95% of the journeys on a service within a ‘window of reliability’ as set by the Traffic Commissioner.

It would appear that it has become increasingly difficult for them over the years to keep to the timetable due to more and more traffic congestion, new speed limits and traffic calming measures. As the route is a fairly direct one between Oxford and Aylesbury, apart from the duplication of going to Church End and back, there was little scope for finding more time – to achieve their reliability goals and thus satisfy the majority of their passengers – by cutting out any other part of the route.

Compared with, for example, bus-stops in Wheatley, relatively few passengers use the Church End bus-stop (although a number do use the one near Crabtree Rd, outside Haddenham Hall).

In addition to the problems stated above, it seems that Arriva has also responded belatedly to a request made by councillors before the new Medical Centre opened in Stanbridge Road in 2005, for a frequent bus service via the new centre (although this was provided for a short while by the 2-hourly 260 service). Re-routing the bus along Stanbridge Road has also contributed to the need to save time elsewhere.

BUS users in Haddenham, near Thame, are continuing to protest at changes to the route of the Arriva 280 bus through the village.

The Haddenham Safe Walking and Cycling Group (SW&CG) has, on behalf of the Parish Council, requested a meeting with Arriva to discuss the changes. Also, a number of villagers have been collecting signatures for a petition complaining about the changes to the bus route (copies to sign available at McColl?s, Banks Parade, or Parminter?s, Church End) and SW&CG plans to present petitions to Arriva when they, hopefully, meet with bus company representatives.

The SW&CG have said that anyone else with a petition can hand it in at the Parish Office (open Tuesday and Thursday mornings until 11.30am) or deliver it to Dormer Cottage, Flint Street, by the end of August.

Anyone wishing to send comments direct to Arriva should write to Arriva Customer Services, FREEPOST ANG 7624, Luton, Bedfordshire LU4 8BR or stevemacdonald@arriva-shires.com.

According to a letter from the Traffic Commissioner, bus companies are required to register new or amended services with the Commissioner who then: “..expects the service to be run efficiently, reliably and in accordance with the registered particulars. Once the service has been registered, however, any changes must be notified to the Commissioner 56 days before the proposed revision is due to take effect.

“The Traffic Commissioner has no powers to require an operator to operate a particular route or to impose a particular pattern of operation,” the letter concludes.

The County Council?s role is limited to approval for the siting of bus stops and they say that, as service 280 is a commercial service operated by Arriva, it is Arriva who make decisions on any change of route or timetable and they do not need the agreement of Bucks County Council. However, the Traffic Commissioner writes: “? local authorities have a responsibility for issuing tenders on a subsidised basis if the transport needs of local residents are not being met,” so villagers are being invited to put this point in writing to John Bass, Senior Passenger Transport Officer, Transport for Buckinghamshire, Bucks County Council, County Hall, Walton Street, Aylesbury HP20 1UY JBASS@buckscc.gov.uk

FROM Sunday 12 September, the Monday to Friday frequency of the Arriva Service 280 is to be increased from every 30 minutes to every 20, and a new Service 200 is to be introduced on the same date.

The Service 200 will comprise three Monday to Friday COMMUTER journeys in the morning into Oxford and evening return, which will omit Wheatley and run direct along the A40, offering a slightly faster journey.

Arriva will be publishing new timetable booklets in due course, and posting new timetables at the roadside.

PROPOSALS by the bus operator Arriva to amend the route of the 280 bus through Haddenham, have caused outrage among some of the villagers.

Although the changes include providing an extra bus to the route, guaranteeing three an hour instead of two, there are also plans to redirect the service from its current Church Way route to one past the village Medical Centre.

The move has prompted a spate of complaints from residents, including George and Freda Dorrell of Willis Road, Haddenham, who insist that the current route provides much needed access for villagers getting to the library, the local shops and surrounding towns like Oxford, Thame and Aylesbury.

The Dorrells say that the elderly and disabled living at Church Way and Church End will be particularly hard hit, as the lack of a bus stop in the area will place the 280 service beyond their reach. Similarly, the new route via Woodways and the Medical Centre is beset by speed bumps and contains several schools and a busy crossing. Re-routing buses they say, would therefore make the area more hazardous for pedestrians.

?It?s a crazy situation,? says Mrs. Dorrell, who with her husband has written to the Traffic Commissioner, Aylesbury Vale MP John Bercow and Arriva to protest about the changes. ?We?ve had no response from anyone beyond the Traffic Commissioner saying it was the Council?s responsibility and not theirs,? added Freda. ? All they?re interested in is going with the route they?ve said they?ll run.?

As well as the Dorrells, many other villagers are angry because, they say, residents were not consulted over the proposed changes. Despite several phone calls today, no one from Bucks County Council was available for comment.

By Maddy Fry

Dear Editor, Reference your article concerning Oxfordhire’s Speed Camera switch off… If the ‘safety’cameras had been situated in sensible locations in the first place, there would probably be an outcry from the general public regarding the issues raised should the cameras be switched off.

Most of the cameras in Oxfordshire were merely situated in the places guaranteed to generate the largest revenue at the expense of the road fund licence payer, with little or no concern for ‘safety’.

Motorists can now rejoice in the fact that, for once, common sense has prevailed. Long may it continue.

Tim Nicholson
16/08/10

THE most senior traffic policeman in Britain has warned that cutting funding for speed cameras will put lives at risk. Chief constable Mick Giannasi has warned ministers that there will be a rise in fatal road accidents as struggling councils cannot afford to operate the cameras, according to reports today.

The government has ended central funding for fixed speed cameras and last week, Oxfordshire county council turn off all 72 of its cameras. Several other counties are believe to be considering to follow suit.

Giannasi’s comments that the cuts had : “..caused unintended consequences for road safety,” have been reported by The Times Newspaper.

Mick Giannasi heads the roads portfolio for the Association of Chief Police Officers.

The Department of Transport defended its position on speed cameras, insisting: “It is right that local councils decide how best to tackle specific problems in their areas.”

WHAT’S YOUR view on the speed camera switch off in our county?

MEMBERS of Thame Town Council’s Planning and Environment committee have voiced their anger at the county council for failing to seek the town council’s views on part of its current Local Transport Plan consultation.

Cllr David Dodds, who is also a District Cllr, said:” This plan is nonsense. It does not reflect the aspirations of Thame Town Council which is not even assumed to be a stakeholder. It is absolutely disgusting.”

The town council has stated: “As Thame was actually one of the ?smaller towns? in question, this seems an extraordinary state of affairs.”

At its last meeting, the committee agreed to send a letter to the Leader of OCC, with a view to setting up an urgent meeting with those involved in the Plan?s proposals.

Anyone who wishes to respond on an individual basis to the transport consultation can do so via the OCC website: http://myconsultations.oxfordshire.gov.uk/inovem/consult.ti/ltpconsultation5/consultationHome

MEMBERS of Thame Town Council’s Planning and Environment committee have voiced their anger at the county council for failing to seek the town council’s views on part of its current Local Transport Plan consultation.

Cllr David Dodds, who is also a District Cllr, said:” This plan is nonsense. It does not reflect the aspirations of Thame Town Council which is not even assumed to be a stakeholder. It is absolutely disgusting.”

The town council has stated: “As Thame was actually one of the ?smaller towns? in question, this seems an extraordinary state of affairs.”

At its last meeting, the committee agreed to send a letter to the Leader of OCC, with a view to setting up an urgent meeting with those involved in the Plan?s proposals.

Anyone who wishes to respond on an individual basis to the transport consultation can do so via the OCC website: http://myconsultations.oxfordshire.gov.uk/inovem/consult.ti/ltpconsultation5/consultationHome

A new deck has been added to the car parking facilities at Haddenham & Thame Parkway station, operated by Chiltern Railways.

The new deck gives the station an extra 226 car parking spaces, which nearly doubles the number of spaces available to motorists.