High street bus lane stays despite 'unsafe' claims

A high street bus lane will be made permanent despite claims it is "unsafe".

Transport officials have announced the bus lane, which was installed on Gosforth High Street, Newcastle, in March last year, will be staying after an 18-month trial.

During a public consultation, there were 346 objections to the project and 134 supportive comments, with opponents claiming the bus lane had led to a spike in accidents.

Newcastle City Council said the scheme had improved bus journey times but accepted there had been a "slight rise in collisions" since the bus lane's arrival.

The lane replaced controversial bollards that had lined the street since 2020, under a previous plan to create extra space for cyclists and pedestrians.

The council told the Local Democracy Reporting Service removing the bus lane would be a "retrograde step".

Walking and cycling campaign group Space for Gosforth said the lane was “unsafe" and called for its immediate removal.

The council said there were eight collisions involving injury in the 18 months since the lane was installed, compared to 20 in the previous five years.

A council report said: “Closer inspection of the accident data has revealed that the presence of the bus lane is not attributed as a contributory factor, however the council will continue to monitor the situation.”

Councillor Marion Williams, cabinet member for transport, said the lane "worked well" with bus passengers reporting improvements in their journey times and bus reliability.

She added: "This is exactly the change we need to encourage people out of their cars and onto public transport, as we create a more sustainable city."

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