Dover residents react to launch of £34m Fastrack bus scheme

KentOnline / KMTV

Residents have had their say following the launch of a new bus route through Dover which was intended to be for an electric fleet but will initially be diesel instead.

Transcript

00:00It's been promised since 2021, an all-electric, zero-emission fleet of buses connecting the

00:06centre of Dover to the nearby town of Whitfield.

00:08It's now 2024 and the bus route, called Dover Fast Track, is finally set to launch on the

00:1317th of November, only with diesel-powered vehicles instead.

00:18Now it is only temporary, KCC's Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, Neil Baker, explained

00:23why the service wouldn't be electric in the beginning.

00:26Stagecoach, the bus operator locally, have had problems with their supply chain.

00:31It's really down to how long it takes them to get hold of the buses.

00:35They've got them on order, they're due to arrive in summer next year now, this is obviously

00:38outside of Kent County Council's control.

00:41But the decision really had to be made, do we let this new infrastructure we have just

00:45sit empty with no buses on it for a period, or do we actually use diesel buses in the

00:50meantime?

00:51It's not ideal, but of course having people on buses is better than everybody using cars

00:56to start with.

00:57He also mentioned the need for the service to support the District Council's transport

01:01plan and to reduce the pressure of heavy traffic on the town's roads.

01:05Well here's a map of the services, which will start at Dover Priory Station, cutting through

01:09the town centre and looping around the main thoroughfare of Whitfield, with the route

01:13also set to expand north past Richmond Way in the future.

01:17The people of Dover, who use the buses most, didn't seem thrilled about the change, or

01:21the fact the scheme would cost £34 million.

01:26And do you think that £34 million is a...

01:28I think it's disgraceful.

01:31£34 million for this is absolutely disgraceful.

01:38Well we've been watching it being built for a very long time, which has disrupted the

01:42local roads, everything, and a big mess as well, and I just want to know who is actually

01:48going to use it, because that's always the interesting thing.

01:52Well it's supposed to be an electric, but it isn't.

01:55Maybe one day it will be.

01:56It was also supposed to open in 2023.

02:00The fast track project follows the increase of homes in Whitfield and requires new roads

02:04to be built, including a bridge across the A2.

02:07While some may think the price tag is too high, the scheme has received a £22 million

02:11grant from Homes England.

02:13Well Dover aren't the only Kent town to be doing this, with Dartford and Gravesham also

02:17set to adopt similar schemes to start in April, with zero emission buses.

02:22Locals hope the new service will fit in with existing routes and, once it's out, that electric

02:27buses will be introduced as soon as possible.

02:29Finn McDermid for CAME TV in Dover.

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