IT is one of those buzz phrases you hear bandied about in local government, but are not quite sure what it means.
The official definition of a Quality Bus Corridor, or a QBC, is "an important route along which a variety of improvements are introduced to make travel by bus more attractive".
In reality, those improvements including things like bus lanes, cycle lanes, extra pedestrian crossings and traffic lights that give priority to buses - and in some cases permission for buses to make turns banned to cars.
The message the government and local authorities behind the scheme want to send out is that they are making public transport, pedestrians and cyclists a priority, and that drivers should follow their line of thought and hop on a bus instead of driving.
New signs
But the new signs, mini islands and green and red stripes on the road are proving controversial and the introduction of a scheme in Chorlton earlier this year is a case in point.
The corridor, which is not yet finished, will eventually stretch from Stockport to Trafford, via Didsbury and Chorlton in one direction, and from Stretford to the town centre in the other.
Other schemes already in place or under construction include Manchester to Hazel Grove, Bolton to Littleborough, Bury to Manchester, Lees to Manchester, Leigh to Bolton, Manchester to Altrincham, Manchester to East Didsbury, Rochdale to Oldham, Stockport to Brinnington, Stockport to Cheadle, Wigan to Leigh and Withington to Didsbury.
GMPTE has also applied to the government for funding for another ten Quality Bus Corridors, one of which would be from Leigh to Manchester through Salford, to include a guided busway.
I went to Chorlton's £1.48m QBS in action and ask people for their opinions....
Click here to join Clarissa's journey.
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But the scheme was supposed to make traffic worse. The beardo-weirdos who run traffic planning for local council hate the motor car. Their whole srategy is to make driving slow, expensive, inconvenient and frustrating to make us cycle or walk everywhere to 'save the planet'.
I notice the smokescreen comment by Chorlton councillor when she said "However, if it is making congestion worse, we will need to look at that" Rubbish! You're being told now that it's making things worse, but you have no intention whatsoever of doing anything about it. Get out there and have a look yourself! She knows full well it's all about making traffic congestion insufferable. We're all fully aware of the purposeful build-up to the congestion charging, and the under-handed ways of this government and their local "branches".
Schemes are only as good as the enforcement, which isn't happening.
Either do it right, or not at all.
They could not organize a P**S Up in a Brewery.
Or, perhaps they visited the Brewery prior to drawing up the plans !!