MP and Preston Bus boss call for urgent action on M6 safety
The boss of a Preston bus operator has called for urgent safety improvements on the M6 after repeated closures have caused "severe disruption".Thomas Calderbank from Preston Bus has written to the transport secretary and the Ribble Valley MP Maya Ellis, to explain how crashes on parts of the motorway in Lancashire have been causing chaos for drivers and passengers.Ellis, raised the issue in the Commons, where she told MPs that collisions and closures had become "a monthly, if not weekly, occurrence".The Department for Transport has been contacted for comment.
Mr Calderbank said he was deeply concerned about the long-term effects the traffic problems would have on "public confidence in our services".He said the motorway closures "have directly impacted our bus services, our drivers, and most importantly, our passengers".Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Transport Lillian Greenwood agreed to meet Ellis to discuss the issues after she raised her concerns in the House of Commons.
There was a serious collision between a van and a lorry on the motorway on 15 May between junction 31a and junction 32.The M6 was also closed due to a lorry fire on 22 May near junction 31 causing delays and congestion as commuters tried to find a way around.Mr Calderbank said the knock-on effect meant the private bus company experienced a month's worth of cancellations on one day.His open letter said following the lorry fire "severe disruption" included:70 individual bus journeys, amounting to over 350 miles, had to be cancelled By 16:00 BST not a single Preston Bus service in Preston was running on timeBuses were taking well over an hour to travel between Royal Preston Hospital and the city centre.Ms Ellis told MPs "economic growth requires people to be able to get to work".She said: "Yet another road traffic accident has had a hugely disruptive impact on the mainly small roads around it in my constituency."Yet again, my residents in Longridge, Grimsargh and all the surrounding areas woke up to the prospect of another journey to work that takes two hours instead of 20 minutes, and this is becoming a monthly, if not weekly, occurrence."
Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
14 minutes ago
- The Independent
‘Essex Boys' triple killer released from prison
A man convicted of the ' Essex Boys' gangland murders has been released from prison. Michael Steele was jailed for life in 1998 for the killings of Tony Tucker, Pat Tate and Craig Rolfe, alongside co-defendant Jack Whomes. The three men were found shot dead in a Range Rover in Rettendon, near Chelmsford, Essex, in 1995. Steele has always denied the murders. A Parole Board panel made the decision to free Steele, now in his 80s, in February because his imprisonment was 'no longer necessary for the protection of the public'. However, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood challenged the decision and asked for Steele's case to be reviewed on the grounds the decision was legally irrational. Steele was released from prison in May, the Ministry of Justice has now confirmed. A spokesperson for the government department said: 'Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Craig Rolfe, Tony Tucker and Pat Tate. 'This decision was made by the independent Parole Board after a thorough risk assessment. ' Michael Steele will be on licence for the rest of his life, with strict conditions and intensive probation supervision. He faces an immediate return to prison if he breaks the rules.' The killings took place after a row over a drug deal, prosecutors said, and the case later inspired the 2000 film Essex Boys, starring Sean Bean. The decision in February to release Steele came in the second review by the Parole Board following the end of his initial minimum term of 23 years' imprisonment. He had not been assessed as suitable for formal risk-reduction interventions while in prison, 'partly through lack of need and partly because he had maintained his innocence of involvement in the murders', the Parole Board's summary said. It added that risk factors for Steele at the time of his offending included his 'criminal lifestyle, involvement with drugs and association with the wrong people'. But the Parole Board also found that Steele's behaviour in prison had shown 'marked improvement' and none of the witnesses considered risks would be imminent if he was released into the community. Strict licence conditions were set out for Steele, including to live at a designated address, be of good behaviour, provide financial and business details, give up his passport, and be subject to electronic tagging and a specified curfew. There were additional restrictions relating to the use of electronic technology, contact with the media or other publications, and not to own a boat, plane or firearm. The Parole Board decided Whomes, then aged 59, could be released in 2021.
BBC News
14 minutes ago
- BBC News
Fifth arrest after PC Christopher Miller hurt in Stoke Poges
A fifth person has been arrested in connection with the attempted murder of a police officer, who is still critically ill in Valley Police said PC Christopher Miller sustained "life-threatening injuries" after an incident on the B416 Bells Hill in Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, on 22 May.A 29-year-old man from Slough was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of assisting an offender and attempting to pervert the course of justice. He has been released on bailIt came after Simranjit Kajla, 28, of Lydford Avenue in Slough, was charged with attempted murder, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and using a motor vehicle on a road without insurance. He will appear at Reading Crown Court on 23 June. Thames Valley Police said last week PC Christopher Miller was "seriously injured while carrying out his duties as a police officer".The force said the vehicle involved was a white BMW, which would have been damaged after the incident, and appealed for any witnesses to come forward.A 38-year-old man from Slough had also been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and released on bail.A man and woman from Slough were arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and perverting the course of justice. The woman, 37, was released on bail while the man, 43, was released under investigation.
Reuters
14 minutes ago
- Reuters
UK factories struggle as trade uncertainty, higher costs hit, PMI shows
LONDON, June 2 (Reuters) - The downturn in British manufacturing was less steep than first feared in May but output, orders and jobs continued to drop as companies cited recent tax hikes and U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs, a survey showed on Monday. The final reading of the S&P Global UK manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), a measure of activity among factories, was 46.4 in May compared to 45.4 in April. It was the highest since February but remained below the 50 threshold for growth. The provisional PMI figure for May was 45.1. While the rates of contraction across new orders, output and exports eased, survey compiler S&P Global said the environment for manufacturers was still tough. "May PMI data indicate that UK manufacturing faces major challenges, including turbulent market conditions, trade uncertainties, low client confidence and rising tax-related wage costs," Rob Dobson, director at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said. May's decline in output was linked to a reduced intake of new business as demand from domestic and overseas fell. The fall in exports orders was mainly linked to weaker demand from the U.S. and Europe. The survey showed 49% of manufacturers expected to see output increase over the coming year, slightly above 44% in April. Manufacturing firms cut employment at the fastest pace in three months in response to uncertain economic outlook - plus a rise in employers' social security contributions and 6.7% increase in the minimum wage that came into force in April. But there were signs that the worst of the inflation surge may have passed, S&P said, as the pace of increases in input costs and selling prices slowed.
