Two towns, five modes of transport – who will win?
OUR CAMPAIGN to fast-track the much-needed upgrade of the A21 between Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge has sparked debate across West Kent.
With this in mind, the Courier decided to carry out an experiment to discover which is the most efficient method of commuting between two of the region's main communities.
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TOP-GEAR CHALLENGE: Reporters Travelling from Tonbridge to Tunbridge Wells during the rush hour to compare journey times by bus, train, bike and car. Andy Saunders travelled by bicycle, Scarlet Jones drove her car, Shams Al-Shakarchi caught a bus, Oliver Frankham used the train and Keith Fairbank ran.
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TOP-GEAR CHALLENGE: Reporters Travelling from Tonbridge to Tunbridge Wells during the rush hour to compare journey times by bus, train, bike and car. Andy Saunders travelled by bicycle, Scarlet Jones drove her car, Shams Al-Shakarchi caught a bus, Oliver Frankham used the train and Keith Fairbank ran.
Five journalists gathered in East Street, off the northern end of Tonbridge High Street on a Monday morning with the intention of travelling five miles to the Millennium Clock in central Tunbridge Wells by bicycle, car, bus, train and on foot.
The starting point was a residential street located in a position unlikely to give any competitor an unfair advantage.
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We chose a normal working day, unaffected by school holidays, aiming to leave at the rush hour peak time of 8.15am and proceed at a normal pace to the finishing point.
As one of us was late, the Courier's "Top Gear Challenge" began at 8.24am – nine minutes later than planned – a change which probably affected the finishing times in a significant way.
Before setting off, opinion was divided over who was the likely winner, with Andy "The Stig" Saunders predicting the bus lanes through Southborough would give that form of transport the edge.
Who was correct? We're about to find out...
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