Why we need the Busway

Over a number of years, the three towns of Houghton Regis, Dunstable and Luton have grown to the extent that they have become connected, particularly along the line of the A505 (traditionally the main East-West route through the towns), carrying both local traffic and through traffic from Letchworth, Hitchin and Stevenage to the M1 and A5.

For some time the congestion along the route has made it impossible to provide a fast and reliable public transport service.

Since the late 1980's, teams of independent transport experts have been commissioned to develop proposals for a local transport solution. Of all the possibilities, including trains, light rail, and conventional buses, the Busway concept has been shown to provide the best solution to these problems.

Tackling congestion

With a population of around 230,000 people in Houghton Regis, Dunstable and Luton, plus major industrial and commercial premises, a lot of traffic is generated. In the rush hour the 6 mile journey between Luton Station and Dunstable by car currently takes up to 40 minutes - an average speed of just 9 miles an hour. Buses can be even slower.

Helping you get from A to B

Many journeys, particularly medium and long distance ones are made by using more than one form of transport. Rarely are these coordinated or convenient.

For example, how often have you:

sat in traffic, worrying whether you would catch the plane or train?
fumed in a ticket queue at the station?
resented the cost of parking, particularly at stations and airports?
been delayed and missed connections?
had a long wait when changing between one form of transport and another?

One of the objectives of the Busway is to be part of an integrated transport system, which will cut out frustrations and annoyances like these.

Proven success

A guided Busway was opened in Leeds in 1995 and has witnessed a significant growth in passengers, and a further section of guideway was opened in 2001. Compared to the original bus route, the first section of guideway has seen a 75% increase in support since 1995.

A Fastway system operates in West Sussex between Crawley, Horley and Gatwick. It combines sections of guided busway and dedicated bus lanes and operates on two main routes. The scheme has exceeded passenger number expectations.