Bus lane could disrupt traffic flow - councillor

A new bus lane route is planned for New Hall Lane, Preston

Plans to build a new bus lane on a busy route in a city will have "far-reaching consequences" for the flow of traffic in the area, a councillor has said.

Lancashire County Council's cabinet approved the £100,000 scheme, on New Hall Lane in Preston last week.

The authority said existing lanes would be narrowed and the aim of the scheme was to improve public transport journey times.

Preston City councillor Suleman Sarwar said the road was a "vital artery" which connects Preston to the motorway.

'Irresponsible'

Despite only three objections being received by the council following a public consultation, he said he had been “overwhelmed with messages from concerned residents” since the project was approved.

Mr Sarwar told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) he planned to launch a petition to block the introduction of the bus-only restriction on New Hall Lane.

"Without concrete evidence that this scheme will alleviate traffic congestion rather than exacerbate it, proceeding with its implementation would be irresponsible," he added.

He urged the council to reconsider the approval of the lane and "provide transparency regarding the research or testing that was conducted".

In response, County Councillor Rupert Swarbrick told the LDRS: “As part of our initial allocation of £30.4m Bus Service Improvement Plan funding, the western end of New Hall Lane was identified as a location where the carriageway was wide enough so that a bus lane could be constructed, while maintaining a two-way carriageway for general vehicles.

“The aim of the scheme is to improve public transport journey times and timetable reliability by reallocating the carriageway width to create a lane dedicated for use by buses and cycles exclusively.

“This will allow public transport to move more seamlessly through the junction, allowing buses to bypass congestion and cut journey times, particularly during peak travel periods."