Agenda item

A4 Experimental Bus Lane

Decision:

(a)  Consider all matters set out in the Report and appendices and approve the recommendation for the Bus Lane experimental traffic regulation orders (ETROs) to be made permanent.

 

(b)  Authorise the Executive Director of Place and Community in consultation with the Lead Member for Transport, Planning and Place to proceed through the legal process to enable the ETRO’s to be made permanent.

 

(c)  Approve additional works including signing and lining to be undertaken to improve road safety and approve the update of signs to also permit vehicles with authorised green numbers plates to use the bus lane during operational hours.

Minutes:

The Lead Member for Transport, Planning & Place introduced a report that proposed that A4 experimental bus lane be made permanent.

 

The bus lane had been introduced through Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders (ETROs) in 2020 between Dover Road and Uxbridge Road.  The Lead Member summarised the reasons why the recommendation was to make the bus lane permanent during peak time as part of the Council’s agreed policies to promote modal shift and reduce reliance on private cars, promote sustainable and active travel, improve public health and air quality.

 

The Cabinet noted the background and the report and appendix pack set out the consultation feedback and monitoring data collected within the period of the experimental orders which for this scheme came into operation on 4th December 2020 for a period not extending beyond the end of February 2022.  The journey time for buses had decreased by 2 minutes and for cars it had increased by just under 3 minutes along the longest link of the scheme.  There had been no major increase in accidents.

 

Lead Members had a detailed discussion about a range of issues including public consultation and air quality.  The scheme had been changed from full time to peak time following a significant number of objections and a petition signed by over 5,000 residents.  Since the introduction of the peak time scheme a significantly reduced number of objections had been received and these were set out in detail in the report and appendix. The air quality data was set out fully in Appendix 1 to the report.  Air quality had improved in 2020 and 2021 although this could not be attributed to the bus lane.  The data did suggest that the bus lane had not led to a worsening of air quality and the data would continue to be monitored.

 

The Cabinet noted the recommendations of the Place Scrutiny Panel which had reviewed the scheme at its meeting on 1st December 2021.  Officers had responded to each of the points raised which included standardising bus lane operations in Slough, making the bus lane available to electric vehicles and having a segregated cycle lane.  The Cabinet had previously supported in principle a segregated A4 cycle lane if external funding could be secured.

 

Councillor Smith commented on a number of aspects of the proposal, particularly in relation to air quality and he requested that the Cabinet defer a decision as in his view the data was not sufficiently robust to make the scheme permanent.  Councillor Gahir expressed support for the bus lane in principle but asked the Cabinet to take steps in future to prevent ‘rat-running’ and to support schools to promote more sustainable travel and reduce the congestion caused by the ‘school run’.  The Lead Member for Social Care & Public Health stated that the latter point was an issue the Wellbeing Board could look into further.

 

The Cabinet carefully considered all of the information provided and agreed to make the peak time A4 bus lane permanent.

 

Resolved –

 

(a)  That following consideration of all matters set out in the report and appendices, the recommendation for the Bus Lane experimental traffic regulation orders (ETROs) to be made permanent be approved.

 

(b)  That authority be given to the Executive Director of Place and Community, in consultation with the Lead Member for Transport, Planning and Place, to proceed through the legal process to enable the ETRO’s to be made permanent.

 

(c)  That approval be given for additional works including signing and lining be undertaken to improve road safety and approve the update of signs to also permit vehicles with authorised green numbers plates to use the bus lane during operational hours.

Supporting documents: