I AM encouraged and intrigued to read of the possibility that our local bus companies are considering co-ordinating their schedule planning in a move to help alleviate traffic congestion (lead article, ‘It’s Time To Get Real’, Echo 5 September).

At Talbot Village, the campus for both the BU and AUB universities, there is a bus stop with facility for four vehicles maximum at a time.

Due to the deliberate scheduling by both MoreBus and Yellow Buses, at the ‘peak’ times there are often six, even seven buses competing for those spaces, sometimes resulting in buses being parked on double yellow lines, hatched markings, even across a pedestrian crossing, making life difficult for passengers, pedestrians and motorists alike.

This has been the case for a number of years and numerous complaints to the bus companies, the police and to Poole Council result in no action, either on the scheduling nor on the illegal waiting/parking up.

Fortunately, due to developments by BU a new off-road bus hub is now being built which will hopefully reduce the congestion, but I doubt if the two companies will agree to reduce their buses as long as they are in competition with each other.

One other idea for them, and for the traffic planners in our conurbation – ALL bus stops should, where possible, be set in laybys, thus allowing traffic to flow past instead of causing congestion and pollution. There are many such places on our roads where this could be achieved.

G SMITH Drew Close, Poole