Residents call for bus lane removal after 'carnage'

Tobi Andersson said the bus lane was causing "carnage" as cars queued all day long

Residents are calling on a council to scrap a new a bus lane in Reading after reports of regular congestion.

Locals have criticised the lane on the A4 London Road from Sidmouth Street, which they said has caused long queues and increased pollution in the area.

It was introduced as part of a £26m investment in bus services.

Reading Borough Council said it recognised the change was "impacting road users at times" however the scheme was designed to help then "find alternative routes, or means of transport, into Reading".

The bus lane was part of a £26m investment in bus services

Tobi Andersson lives near the road and said it was always busy, but after they installed the bus lane it had been “carnage”.

He works from home to avoid the traffic and when he walks his dog he said the air quality was "awful now".

Mr Andersson said before the bus lane was installed there were calm periods, but now the rush hour period extended all day long.

Ahmad Khan works as a driving instructor in Reading and said the congestion was dangerous, because drivers travelling at 70mph on the A3290 suddenly had to slow down due to the traffic.

He said: “I’m definitely avoiding that road […] because at the middle of the day [when it wasn’t] a rush hour, the queue was still going past the roundabout onto the A329 ramp.

“I don’t remember using the road since the bus lane opened up."

He said installing the bus lane was not the right way to deter motorists from coming into London Road.

Ahmad Khan said the bus lane was "dangerous"

A council spokesperson said: "The implementation of this scheme was expected to have an impact, particularly while road users adapt to the change and find alternative routes, or means of transport, into Reading.

"The current closure of Church Road, Wokingham, which is another major route into Reading, is also impacting current traffic flows.

"The council is continuing to monitor the impacts of the new bus lane on London Road and surrounding roads to identify any potential measures to mitigate issues."