Our Mission

The aim of the BCP and Dorset Motorists’ Group is to improve the experience of motorists across both the BCP Area and throughout Dorset.

We want to work in partnership with Local Authorities to ensure all transport schemes have a positive impact on businesses, residents and congestion, and are proportionate to all road users.

Our Principles

The Group’s priorities are designed to reduce congestion on local roads. Our aim is to develop a partnership with BCP/Dorset Councils that ensures the interests of motorists are fully taken into account in any decision-making process re our local roads.

We believe the interests of motorists/business vehicles should be treated by our Councils as equal to those of all other road users including those supporting Active Travel.

We must ensure that all future Local Council transport and infrastructure policies and projects are consistent with the recently issued Government guidance on vital issues such as 20 mph Zones and Low traffic Neighbourhoods (LTN’s).

We also want to ensure that we protect accessibility on our roads for the less mobile and elderly in our community, who for them, a car is their only transport option.

Our Priorities

• Ensure that through consultation Local Councils take into account the above principles.
• All projects need to ensure that reduced traffic congestion is an objective.
• All schemes should have reduced traffic congestion and reduced carbon emissions as their primary objectives.
• A Smart Traffic Management strategy should be considered integral to all road projects.
• A review of existing traffic lights should be undertaken to assess whether they can be changed to be utilised on a part-time basis only.
• A funded and comprehensive approach to improving the condition of our local roads with road surface repair (i.e. potholes) being the first priority.
• Road repairs to be fit-for-purpose and not quick-fix interim solutions.
• Improved planning, co-ordination and close management of roadworks by both Local Councils and utility contractors.
• Cycle lanes and projects should comply with Government guidelines and residents should be fully consulted, with their views taken into account, before any such schemes are implemented.
• Safety measures to protect all types of road users where shared space is present.
  Sufficient access for Emergency Service Vehicle - access must be maintained at all times.

Low Traffic Neighbourhoods

• These should only be considered in appropriate areas where safety is the primary concern and demonstrated by accident statistics. They should not be implemented purely as an anti-car measure.
• Residents in the surrounding areas of such schemes should be fully consulted on the potential effects of traffic displacement, causing more congestion in adjacent roads to the LTN’s.
• Local Councils should adhere to Government guidelines

20 MPH Zones

• Blanket adoption of 20 mph zones should not be implemented. Residents must be consulted and their views taken in account.
• Local Councils should adhere to Government guidelines.
• Speed reduction measures should only be adopted in areas where there are genuine safety concerns, such as adjacent to schools or housing estates, where visibility may be impaired.
• Such 20 mph limits should be mandatory and not advisory. Dorset Police should ensure their enforcement.
• Where implemented near schools, the 20 mph zones should be on a part-time basis where possible.

Car Parking

• All new House/Business Planning consents must include the provision of adequate car parking to avoid displacement effects on surrounding local roads.
• Local Councils should not view car parks as way of increasing their revenue streams, as this penalises motorists unfairly.
• Any proposed reduction in public car parking spaces in excess of 15, should be subjected to a local referendum

Public Transport

• An improved and integrated approach to Public Transport planning is required.
• Free school buses should be considered the preferred way of getting children to and from school. This should be seen as the default option, as in most European countries.
• Bus utilisation figures should be available and scrutinised to establish if double-decker buses can be replaced by single-decker ones.
• Bus laybys should be reintroduced where they have been removed in recent traffic schemes. Bus laybys should not be removed in the future as part of any new scheme. The removal of these has increased both congestion and carbon emissions, due to the additional delays caused to other road users, by buses stopping on the road itself. This also causes delays for the Emergency Services.
• The frequency of trains running solely from Christchurch to Poole should be increased to every 15 minutes. Trains from Weymouth to Southampton should run at least 3 times each hour.

Protecting Accessibility

• The needs of the less mobile and elderly need to be given adequate consideration in road planning equal to that of other road users, such as cyclists and e-scooters.
• The Council should recognise that for these specific groups, cars may be their only option. Ensuring that they are able to use their cars will allow them to take part in activities.
• Experimental road closures should not be implemented without full and advance consultation with residents. Examples such as the closure of Poole Park Gates, adversely affects access and has the potential to impact on park users mental well-being.