Hull bus lanes opposed

The introduction of all-day bus lane enforcement in Hull has been halted by opposition councillors.

Hull City Council leaders had agreed to give the go-ahead for CCTV enforcement on the bus lanes between 7am and 6.30pm Monday to Saturday. This was set to come into force today (Tuesday 26 April 2022).

The bus lane enforcement times were initially extended to 7am to 6.30pm during the early part of the pandemic in 2020 in a bid to make cyclists feel safer. The move was part of Hull City Council’s plans to overhaul its cycling infrastructure and encourage more people to choose an active form of travel.

Opposition has come from Lib Dem councillors, who claim there has not been any active consultation with other road user groups over the bus lane enforcement introduction.

The temporary halting of the enforcement comes despite operators in the area reporting improvements to punctuality due to the bus lanes.

“Since the introduction of the extended hours of operation, the bus lanes have contributed to improvements to punctuality and reliability across our network” – East Yorkshire spokesperson

A spokesperson from Go-Ahead-owned East Yorkshire said: “Since the introduction of the extended hours of operation, the bus lanes have contributed to improvements to punctuality and reliability across our network. Of particular note is a 3% improvement in punctuality during the morning peak which we believe is directly attributable to these measures.

“We have also seen an average reduction in delays of two minutes on services that use Spring Bank.

“Predictability and reliability is an essential part of making bus services an attractive and viable alternative to the private car, thus contributing to reduced congestion and pollution. This in turn makes it more attractive for people to chose active travel options which creates a positive cycle of improved air quality and reduced congestion.

“Cities need to reduce the reliance on the private car and this is an essential step along the way to making this choice a natural one for people who live and work in Hull and we believe that to not extend this would send out completely the wrong message at such a crucial time for our planet.”

In June 2021, Stagecoach East Midlands said journey times have become 9% quicker following the installation of the all-day bus lanes.

Matt Cranwell, Managing Director at Stagecoach East Midlands, said: “Many cars travelling into Hull are making very short journeys – under 5 miles – and most are carrying just one person. With frequent services from all the residential areas throughout the day, it has always made sense to use the bus to help reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality.”

In March this year, motorists travelling in Hull bus lanes were incorrectly issued with fines.

The refunds applied to those who received Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) in the period between the Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) expiring and it being replaced by permanent orders. Hull City Council gave full refunds to those wrongly fined.

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