§ Lord Berkeleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
How they plan to take into account in assessments of capacity of urban traffic management schemes the overall capacity and benefit of people moved as opposed to the overall capacity of vehicles. [HL1651]
§ Baroness HaymanThe assessment of a traffic management scheme in urban areas normally rests with the local highway authority. The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions has issued guidelines to stress the importance of sound assessment of the schemes prior to implementation. They cover the operational, economic, environmental, safety modelling and planning aspects, and should take into account factors such as the capacity available to, and the potential benefits to be gained by, different road user groups.
In the case of bus-priority schemes, for example, the capacity for buses should be combined with estimates of bus occupancy (allowing for additional patronage as a result of transfer from other modes) in assessing the overall benefits.