Bradley Bytes – A sort of political column by Dara Bradley

In the month when the Galway City Ring Road hit another speed-bump, a press release from a UK-based PR company that landed in our inbox gave some insight into the warped mentality of some so-called experts within the car industry.

Initially it read like a joke. But it soon became apparent that their solution to school traffic congestion was, in fact, a policy that would allow parents in private cars use bus lanes to drop their children to school.

“Busy parents across the UK could save hours on the school run if a new proposal allowing them into bus lanes is rolled out,” purred the PR puff.

The motoring, ahem, ‘experts’ at LeaseCar.uk, we were told, had “launched a campaign to allow mums and dads to bypass queuing traffic by using bus lanes when dropping their kids off at school”.

“Parents are often held up on the congested roads and many need to make it on time to work afterwards too. Allowing parents to make use of the often-empty bus lanes on the school run would save valuable time and avoid children being late to their lessons because of traffic.

“The majority of bus lanes are already opened up to taxis and motorcycles on UK roads. Giving those on the school run the chance to drive in these lanes will still allow buses to run on scheduled times while also ensuring students aren’t late to school . . . Cars with children in the back during the morning school run hours of 8am and 9am would be able to use the bus lane without worrying about congestion or a hefty fine,” they said.

What the “experts” at this car leasing company did not elaborate on is what would happen when all the school car traffic moved into the bus lanes and clogged them too.

Did it not dawn on them, that maybe sending children to school on the bus (or walking or cycling) might be a better option to “ease congestion on the school run”?

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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