Green Cllr Pete West will this week call for greater support for the city’s bus network during extreme weather.

He will make his comments on at the first meeting of an investigation into how the council coped with the widespread snow and ice at the end of last year.  

In response to a Green Cllr request, a cross-party panel of councillors has been set up to consider whether the council’s Winter Service Plan, which outlines how the council responds to severe weather, is adequate.

Pete said:
“When the city suffers extreme weather, no one should expect to go about their daily business as normal - it simply isn’t possible.  

“But it’s vital we do all we can to help residents maintain crucial supplies such as food and medicine and make essential trips out of their homes.

“Not everyone has access to a car, but most people have access to the pavement and public transport. It makes sense therefore to prioritise keeping buses going over looking after the many roads that are only used by private vehicles.

“During the recent snows, many residents especially in the city’s suburbs felt totally abandoned and isolated. Bus routes were not maintained fortheir full reach; bus stops were not gritted, and pavements on key pedestrian routes were left untouched until the very last days of the prolonged thaw.

“It’s not good enough to allocate resources to the city centre at the cost of residential areas, noris it acceptable to focus on keeping routes that only private cars can use open instead of making sure residents across the city can access public transport.”

Cllr West will also call for a network of "key" pedestrian routes, based on major bus routes and important destinations like local shops, pharmacies, medical centres, to be identified and kept clear. He will also call for better communication with the public about the council and other public bodies’ plans during extreme weather.

For more information about the Greens view:
www.brightonhovegreens.org