Jane and David Straker of Fownhope, Herefordshire, ask for new travel hub (From Hereford Times)

Jane and David Straker of Fownhope, Herefordshire, ask for new travel hub

7:00am Thursday 9th February 2012 in Letters

YOUR article about the ESG link road (Hereford Times, January 19) prompts us to write on a subject close to our hearts: the unique opportunity presented by large scale redevelopment in the area of the railway station to develop an integrated transport hub.

Surely our city deserves to have a modern facility where people can easily transfer between buses, coaches, trains, taxis and cars.

By integrating transport services in this way provision for enquiries and booking office, waiting, toilet and refreshment facilities could all be accessed from a new building extending from the present railway station, in itself a valuable and handsome building. Naturally this would be linked by shuttle bus service to all parts of the city centre.

A public resource of this kind could also provide a facility for the hire and recharging of electric cars and safe storage for motor bikes and pedal cycles.

Nearby there could be provision for transfer of contained goods between road and rail. This could perhaps be supported by similar provision in Rotherwas.

How much more civilised this would be than the present arrangements and what an incentive for people to switch to more energy efficient modes of transport.

There is a real opportunity to bring Hereford into the 21st century and catch up with cities and towns in much of Europe!

The imagination and commitment needed cannot be too much to expect for our city in the context of the high level of creative thinking and financial resources already entailed in planning the Edgar Street Grid.

JANE AND DAVID STRAKER, Fownhope, Herefordshire .