Second controversial bus lane introduced

The first bus lane introduced in August has proven unpopular with some

The second of six controversial new bus lanes has opened as part of a council's drive to improve air quality.

A 400m stretch along Oxford Road has been set aside for buses but Reading Borough Council said it will not be at the expense of general traffic.

Work for the new lane finished at the weekend.

The authority said the new bus lane had been selected because it is a stretch where buses "suffer from the most delays due to congestion, particularly at peak times".

The six new bus lanes, which were approved earlier in the year, are:

• A4 London Road - inbound bus lane between Liverpool Road and Cemetery Junction (introduced in August)

• A4 London Road - inbound bus lane between Sidmouth Street and London Street (expected to start in spring 2025)

• A329 Oxford Road - outbound bus lane between Zinzan Street and George Street (newly introduced)

• A329 Oxford Road - outbound bus lane between Pangbourne Street and Norcot Junction (expected to be introduced in mid-October)

• A327 Southampton Street - inbound bus lane from Pell Street to The Oracle roundabout (expected to start in spring 2025)

• A4 Bath Road - outbound bus lane from Circuit Lane to Granville Road

A new bus lane was introduced in London Road in August but some residents have blamed it for congestion.

The new lanes form part of the council's Bus Improvement Plan, which secured funding from the Department for Transport.

John Ennis, the council's transport lead, said: “A key thread for the council is to create faster and more reliable alternatives to the private car and this latest new bus lane along the Oxford Road contributes to that by creating extra capacity, which allows buses to avoid getting caught up in jams on what is a busy stretch of road.

"In this instance, it has been possible to create that extra capacity through the redesign of the highway and with no loss of capacity for general traffic."