Skip to main content

Independent review says most bus lanes should go

An independent review of Liverpool’s bus lanes is recommending that the majority be removed, but four in the city centre will be retained. On a number of other routes, measures such as bus detector loops are recommended. The city’s 26 bus lanes were suspended in October 2013 to monitor and analyse the effects on congestion and traffic flow. Transport consultant Mott MacDonald has carried out the review and their work was supported by groups of elected members, bus operators and the partners.
October 28, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
An independent review of Liverpool’s bus lanes is recommending that the majority be removed, but four in the city centre will be retained. On a number of other routes, measures such as bus detector loops are recommended.

The city’s 26 bus lanes were suspended in October 2013 to monitor and analyse the effects on congestion and traffic flow.

Transport consultant 1869 Mott MacDonald has carried out the review and their work was supported by groups of elected members, bus operators and the partners.

The bus lane review is part of a wider city transport plan which is to be concluded in February 2015, which aims to: Shape the future transport needs of the city; Forecast future demand for all modes of travel; Improve gateway routes, public realm and pedestrianisation; and improve all public transport infrastructure.

Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, said: “I want to make sure that travelling through the city is a quick as possible for all road users. It’s vital for business, for residents, for visitors and I wasn’t convinced our routes were working as well as they could.

“Now for the first time we have robust data about the effects of bus lanes, rather than people’s opinions about how useful or otherwise they are. As a result of this thorough and independent review there a clear recommendations that the majority of bus lanes should be removed which I will honour.

“A number of issues that have emerged during the discussions include the level of indiscriminate parking on some of our key bus lane routes which disrupt traffic flow and we will take measures to prevent this including applying to the 1837 Department for Transport for permission to introduce red routes.

“There have also been discussions about how best we can provide facilities for cyclists. We are spending £80m on upgrading our main gateway routes over the next eight years and we will be looking at cycling measures as part of that.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • London’s strategy to tackle air quality problems
    October 21, 2014
    Colin Sowman talks to Matthew Pencharz, the man charged with charting London’s path between catering for traveller needs, conserving ancient buildings and conforming to modern air quality standards.
  • Edinburgh set to expand bus lane cameras
    May 31, 2013
    Bus lane cameras in Edinburgh are set to be expanded to cover all major public transport corridors. City councillors will consider the proposal to expand camera enforcement at the Transport and Environment Committee in June. Mobile cameras currently operate in Edinburgh at five sites, with further sites at set to be introduced in June. The number of prohibited vehicles driving in bus lanes during restricted times has dropped by almost 90 per since cameras were introduced in April 2012 to enforce long-standi
  • Changing perceptions and going green with ITS
    May 26, 2022
    Entrants to the ITS (UK) Essay Award were asked to write about innovative application of ITS solutions to achieve decarbonisation goals. First-year apprentice Leora Wilson, who studies at Leeds College of Building as part of her apprenticeship with Mott MacDonald, won the competition with this entry…
  • Why integrated traffic management needs a cohesive approach
    April 10, 2012
    Traffic control is increasingly being viewed as one essential element of a wider ‘system of systems’ – the smart city. Jason Barnes, Jon Masters and David Crawford report on latest ideas and efforts for making cities ‘smarter’ Virtually every element of the fabric and utilitarian operations that make urban areas tick can now be found somewhere in the mix that is the ‘smart city’ agenda. Ideas have expanded and projects pursued in different directions as the rhetoric on making cities ‘smarter’ has grown. App