A Luton Council Scrutiny Committee dominated by Labour councillors has decided to keep bus lanes exclusively for buses – even when there are no buses.

In November 2006 Luton Council’s then Liberal Democrat Executive decided that all bus lanes except (for safety reasons) New Bedford Road, Inkerman Street and Dunstable Road near the Kingsway junction should be 7am to 7pm. The legal orders were published on 18th January and a start was made on erecting the new signs.

Now the Council’s Environment Scrutiny Committee, dominated by Labour members, met on Tuesday 25 September and decided to agree with an earlier Labour executive decision to abandon the previous Liberal Democrat policy and keep bus lanes exclusively for buses 24hours a day – even though after 7pm there are no buses at all on many routes and very few on others.

“This crazy political dogma will cost Luton taxpayers money and will throw the town’s bus priority schemes into chaos,” says Liberal Democrat deputy leader Qurban Hussain.

“Why on earth they believe it is better to keep these unused bus lanes empty rather than allow other drivers to use them at night I really cannot imagine.”