Council to push through bus lane extensions regardless

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 17th Nov 2005

Labour plan to ignore objections to extended bus lanes

A Scrutiny Board at Sheffield City Council today heard that the Labour run Council will carry out extensions to bus lane operating times, regardless of objections from commuters or local residents and businesses.

Despite calls from the Liberal Democrats to put the proposals on hold until all affected communities had been consulted, Labour voted to push through the planned changes. It will mean that, regardless of opposition, the Labour controlled Council will make a recommendation to planning boards to approve the traffic orders which will see a one hour extension to the current operating times.

If approved by planning boards, all of Sheffield's bus lane corridors will see bus lanes come into force a half hour earlier in the morning (7.30am-9.30am) and a half hour earlier in the afternoon (4pm -6.30pm). Bus corridors include areas such as Chesterfield Road, Ecclesall Road and Granville Road.

Despite calls from small businesses the changes will lead to a loss in afternoon trade, Labour will go ahead with the plans regardless. FirstBus, the main bus operator in Sheffield, have not promised anything in return for the Council pushing this measure through.

Cllr Sylvia Dunkley, Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet member for Transport and the Environment, said: -

"Im astonished that Labour are proposing to push these proposals through despite the fact that they will affect the day to day lives of thousands of Sheffielders"

"Regardless of whether your a bus user, car driver, local resident or local businessperson, this is a huge issue for transport in Sheffield and people deserve to be listened to"

"Many businesses in places like Ecclesall Road may feel that changes will affect trade, car users may object for being further delayed coming into work and even bus users might object on the basis of refusing to bow to FirstBus when they have just carried out their fourth fare increase in a year. Labour intend to ignore all these concerns"

"Liberal Democrats see bus lanes as being part of the solution to the transport crisis that Sheffield currently faces, it's a matter of how we use them. Ignoring the people of Sheffield on this issue, the very people this is supposed to benefit, will be counter productive in solving the problems we face"