Sheffield red bus route plans shelved in favour of cameras

Cameras would be installed in bus lanes to catch drivers who park in them

Plans for 12-hour red routes on two major roads in Sheffield have been shelved in favour of other measures.

Sheffield City Council had proposed restrictions on Ecclesall Road and Abbeydale Road to help improve the reliability of city bus services.

Illegal parking on these routes often led to congestion and bus passengers being delayed, the council said.

Instead, the authority's transport committee voted in favour of junction improvements and parking cameras.

It comes after local businesses campaigned against the proposals which, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, would have "halted all on-street parking, stopping deliveries and loading between 7am and 7pm".

Tom Finnegan-Smith, the council's head of strategic transport, sustainability and infrastructure, said that the council had received seven petitions against the 12-hour bus lanes.

In response to a question, he said: "We do hear what local businesses are saying. We have heard what they are saying in the consultation - their concerns are predominantly on the implications on parking and loading."

He said camera enforcement of the existing bus lanes would target illegal parking that restricts the flow of buses.

"The scheme can be implemented on corridors where parking is retained during the day," he added.

According to the council, plans to improve traffic flow were first presented to members in November 2021, with changes made following public consultation and feedback from residents and business owners.