The politician responsible for transportation in Birmingham last night sought to dampen claims that the city council was pursuing a vendetta against buses. Len Gregory hit back at comments by David Begg, head of the Government's Commission for Integrated Transport, who accused the council's Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition of backing "dud" projects, including the suspension of the Tyburn Road bus lane and a feasibility study into an underground railway. Prof Begg claimed the council was out of step with Government thinking, which was to do everything possible to increase bus patronage, and could lose grant money as a result. Birmingham was stuck in 1960s thinking, he said. Coun Gregory (Con Billesley) said: "We are not anti-bus. What we are is pro-people getting about easily by using various forms of transport." He said he could not understand Prof Begg's remarks since the director-general of the Department for Transport had personally asked Birmingham to be more innovative in the way it used scarce road space. Coun Gregory added: "That is precisely what we are trying to do. We are being innovative by asking whether four buses a day travelling in a bus lane is the best use of road space. It clearly is not. "What we are seeing at the moment, from the suspension of the Tyburn Road bus lane, is that traffic is moving far more freely than before." He made it clear that the coalition did not regard bus lanes as the most important ingredient of a balanced public transport policy. "Transport is not just about buses, it is about people as well. More people would travel by bus if buses were safer, cleaner, more reliable and more pleasant to use. "I use the bus, the train and my car and I believe in giving people choice about the form of transport they wish to use," Coun Gregory added. A feasibility study into the possibility of taking the planned metro extension through Birmingham city centre underground is expected shortly. Prof Begg, describing the idea as a "dud project", said he would be amazed if the project met DfT cost-benefit ratios. But Coun Gregory said: "If we can tunnel in Birmingham that would give us considerable advantages. An underground railway would cause much less disruption to the commercial operation of the city centre and less disruption to people travelling through Birmingham. We have told the Government what we are trying to achieve." The 2005 council plan, approved by the cabinet yesterday, promises to introduce high-occupancy lanes which could be used by buses, cars with three or more passengers, lorries and taxis. Mike Whitby, leader of Birmingham City Council, said: "David Begg is a luddite if he thinks that bus travel is the be-all and end-all of everything. We want buses to work well and that is why we are looking at using lanes more efficiently." | 
