NEW BUS ROUTE COULD LINK BIGGIN HILL TO PRU HOSPITAL

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 30th May 2003

The PRU hospital - no bus route from Biggin Hill

London Assembly Liberal Democrats have asked Mayor Ken Livingstone to develop a new bus route to give Biggin Hill residents direct access to the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRU).

Questioning the Mayor, Lib Dem Graham Tope wrote:

"There is a real issue in that PRU, the new district hospital, has just opened and there is no direct bus service linking the most remote part of Bromley borough – Biggin Hill – with the hospital."

The Mayor replied that "only a limited number of trips a day" were made from Biggin Hill, which made it difficult to justify the major expenditure involved in providing a direct bus link.

However, there was a "possibility of providing a service between Biggin Hill and the Hospital", which would be looked into.

Lib Dem GLA member Graham Tope

Graham Tope welcomed this news, adding:

"A bus route linking Biggin Hill with PRU would be a valuable addition to the bus network. There is considerable public demand for such a route. "

"If it is not provided, people will continue to have problems reaching the PRU by public transport as many find it difficult to change buses because they are elderly or infirm.

"The Mayor said, in his Transport Strategy for London, that making public buildings more accessible by public transport is a key priority. A new bus route for Biggin Hill residents surely fits into this category?"