When I moved to Sheffield as a student many moons ago, I discovered that Sheffield did not have a central bus station as such but that all the buses ran across the city from one side to the other. What a brilliant idea I thought. Why sterilize city centre land for standing buses, polluting the air and using up space for their staff amenities etc. Such facilities should be located out of town leaving the city centre to be used by all.

London follows a similar pattern, with no central bus station (apart from Victoria, which performs a national function) but with routes running right across the city and with interchange facilities at major railway stations.

In my career as a town centre and shopping centre developer, I met many local authorities wanting to incorporate bus stations in developments. In theory, this sounds good, but, in practice, these invariably became unattractive polluted places utilising valuable land with potential for more pleasant uses.

In Winchester, the concept of providing an integrated transport interchange at the railway station must be the way to go, with buses running across the city from one side to the other including planned curbside pick-up and drop-off points. For those dependent on public transport, it would also save the trek from the current bus station up the hill to the railway station. 

Peter Lambert,

Headbourne Worthy,

Winchester

Send letters by email to newsdesk@hampshirechronicle.co.uk or by post to Editor, Hampshire Chronicle, 5 Upper Brook Street, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 8AL.

All letters and e-mails must include full names and addresses (anonymous letters will not be published), although these details may be withheld from publication, on request.

Letters of 300 words or less will be given priority, although all are subject to editing for reasons of clarity, space, or legal requirements. We reserve the right to edit letters.