A reduction in the operating times of bus lanes in Hull to peak hours only has been attacked by local operator East Yorkshire Buses.
Hull City Council expects the politically driven change to take place this month, an agenda and notes for a meeting on 18 January state. Under the amendment, bus lanes in Hull will be in operation between 0700-0930hrs and 1600-1830hrs Monday to Saturday, a move that the local authority says will “allow for greater [traffic] flow during peak periods.”
A consultation into the proposal was one of the largest such pieces of work seen by Hull City Council, it adds. Cabinet members voted to proceed with reduced bus lane times, with the local authority adding that “it was seen as a way to assist in fixing the chaos and gridlock that this city has faced over the last few years, under the previous administration.”
The local authority continues: “The changes will enable us to balance the different demand son road space, as well as optimise efficient use of the bus lanes for cyclists and public transport during periods of peak hour travel.”
East Yorkshire Buses has called the shift as “a significant step backward,” with Managing Director Ben Gilligan accusing the council of potentially creating a perception that it “has a lack of commitment to supporting the bus network during a crucial stage of recovery.”
The Go-Ahead Group subsidiary says it is “actively investing” to increase frequencies and that additional journey will be introduced from 28 January. East Yorkshire Buses’ passenger numbers have grown by a claimed 15% over the past 12 months.
It believes that the reduction in bus lane operating hours in Hull will not improve journey times for cars but will instead “significantly impact the reliability of bus services, especially during afternoon peaks.”
East Yorkshire Buses has drawn a contrast between the priority reduction and Hull City Council’s 2030 Carbon Neutral Strategy and its identification of mobility as a key theme. The operator says that it has communicated “extensively” with council leaders on the negative impact of the change.