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| Listening to Southampton residents |
The Labour-run City Council is ploughing ahead with its disastrous Portswood Broadway plan, despite massive resident and business opposition.
And it is proving to be the disaster that was feared. Bluestar, the bus company, has supported the bus gate.
The Daily Echo is reporting:
"A Southampton mum has told of the terrifying moments her five-month-old baby was nearly crushed by a driver who mounted the pavement on the way to school."
During the "trial" (read: fait accomplit), drivers would not be fined, say the Council, who are in denial about the safety of it all:
"Drivers who ignore a newly implemented bus gate will not be hit with a fine, the council has confirmed."
The knock-on effects that worried residents and businesses, and were foreseen, are happening.
And then the Council has changed its mind already. The Council's warning is in full below*:
"Drivers who ignore a controversial road closure will be fined from next week – two weeks after the scheme was introduced."
Andrew says:
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| Former Councillor Andrew Pope at the Civic Centre |
"The Council has already u-turned and the out-of-control Cabinet Member for Transport, Labour Councillor Eamonn Keogh, is deaf to the dangers.
Keogh has already caused chaos across Shirley and in the City Centre, making promises to remove 20mph signs, but they are still there.
Keogh needs to be removed from his position by the Leader of the Council Councillor Lorna Fielker, but the talent pool within the Labour Group is very limited, if not non-existent.
The bankruptcy of the Council and crackpot policies in the City prove Labour's inadequacy.
Labour already lost one seat on the Council after our campaign with Portswood residents against their crazy proposals.
Labour lost the by-election in Shirley too, with residents unhappy about transport policies. I know because I listened to them on their doorsteps.
Do Labour want to lose more Council seats because of their greenie fanatics and ignorance of the vast majority of residents and businesses in the area?
If they do, they are going the right way about it."
*Southampton City Council:
" Camera enforcement of the bus/taxi/cycle only section on Portswood Road will begin on Monday 10 February 2025 📢
While the restriction is in operation only authorised vehicles are allowed, including:
Buses 🚌
Taxis 🚕
Cyclists, legal E-scooters and E-bikes 🚴♂️
Emergency vehicles 🚑
Any other service vehicle carrying out a statutory duty e.g. gritting, refuse collection 🚛
Other vehicles that drive through the restriction will receive a Warning Notice, and on their second contravention they will receive a Penalty Charge Notice 🚗
Warning Letters and PCN’s will be sent through the post to the Registered Keeper of the vehicle. To allow enough time between a Warning Notice being processed and received by the driver, there will be period of approximately two weeks after a Warning Notice being sent and a PCN being issued"