Bus lane plans met with resident backlash online

Traffic intensification as a result of the new bus lane was a leading concern in the online comments

Plans for a new bus lane have provoked a backlash from residents on social media.

It will be created on London Road in Reading, Berkshire, as part of a major project to speed up journeys.

Work on it is due to begin soon and involves turning the leftmost lane into a bus lane between the road's junctions with Liverpool Road and Cemetery Junction.

Public reactions on Facebook showed some residents have major concerns about traffic congestion but others did welcome the change.

According to plans, the leftmost lane on the busy London Road will be turned into a bus lane

One person said "long queues means more pollution" and the "struggling shops in the town will have [fewer] customers because of it".

Another commenter said the road was "already a nightmare" while a third raised concerns that Reading Borough Council may introduce a congestion charge following the move. 

The Reading Transport Strategy 2040 does not give any indication that the council wants to introduce a congestion charge.

However, the council does aim to investigate road-user charging for through traffic with no destination in Reading to manage demand and reduce levels of congestion.

The leading concern online is the potential traffic intensification as drivers head towards the town centre from Woodley and Earley.

Reading Borough Council has argued that the longer-term results of implementing bus lanes will benefit residents, contributing to the aim of achieving net zero carbon by 2030.

But a traffic modelling summary reported to the council stated that traffic flows would need to be reduced by about 260 vehicles (18%) during the morning peak to mitigate the impacts of introducing the bus lane.

Other residents were more in favour of the move with one person commenting that a bus lane "is badly needed in that part of London Road".

Another commenter agreed, saying: "Every single person on a bus is saving space on roads, leaving more for cars."

Work on the lane will take place between 19:00 BST to 01:00 BST on London Road in both directions on 12, 13 and 14 August, before it formally comes into effect on 15 August.