By William Mills
Brighton & Hove has been named runner-up in a Europe-wide contest for transport initiatives.
The city scooped second place with Bologna in the CIVITAS awards – billed as Europe‘s highest award for clean urban transport.
Judges were impressed by measures to improve bus travel such as real-time sign boards and smartphone ticketing and initiatives on cycling, including a trial of electric bikes, also helped secure the win.
Councillor Ian Davey said: “We’re implementing locally ideas which are accepted internationally as best practice. We’re always hearing how much better transport works in Europe – everything from the trains to the cycle tracks.
“So it’s good to get a European award showing how we’re raising our game to meet these higher standards of sustainable and effective transport.”
Funchal on the Portuguese island of Madeira came first.
But do local residents agree? Town centre shops are shutting at an unprecedented rate with customers complaining it is impossible to park.
The notorious Brighton & Hove City Council Transport committee seems to be only capable of wallowing in self praise at their latest gimmick while the city’s economy burns….
The opposition councillors in this minority council as just as much to blame as the Greens.
The Conservatives, so obsessed with travellers trampling the gardens of their posh houses on the outskirts, have given up all credible claim to governance. A clean sweep is needed at the next elections in May 2015.
