City of York Conservative Group has criticised Labour’s plan to push ahead with a trial closure for cars in much of the areas around Rougier Street. The trial is being done using part of the Bus Service Improvement Programme money which was provided by the government in 2022 and Labour is set to sign it off at next week’s Executive.
Commenting on the proposals Conservative Group Leader Chris Steward said
When the proposals for the effective closure of many Rougier Street area routes to cars was proposed, we said we would look at it with an open mind, however the tangible detail on how improvements will happen has always been promised by Labour but never delivered. To make this blow to car drivers work we need a genuine partnership with bus companies for their side of the deal with a commitment to more services and on punctuality, yet Labour has not managed to secure any such thing.
As ever from the political group that brought the city the Lendal Bridge closure, it is far from simple but detailed below:
• A bus lane on George Hudson Street: private cars would not be able to use the southbound section of George Hudson Street beyond Tanner Row during hours of bus lane operation. Any driver travelling wanting to access the Micklegate area from Station Road would need to turn right on to Tanner Row, complete a loop down Micklegate and exit back on to George Hudson Street northbound
• A bus gate in both directions on the eastern end of Micklegate (the stretch from George Hudson Street to the North St / Skeldergate traffic lights): private cars would not be able to use this stretch of road during hours of bus gate operation.
• Micklegate from Micklegate Bar to the junction with George Hudson Street would become one way with private cars only able to use the street going eastbound (away from the Bar), and only allowed to turn left onto George Hudson Street
Cllr Chris Steward further added
Having gone to consultation, the reaction of York residents is at best unenthusiastic and at worst in opposition with an incredible 41.5% of them not believing that the scheme which effectively clears most of the traffic from the roads will or even may improve bus reliability
The Council is effectively rushing to spend Bus Service Improvement Plan money on something, rather than truly considering how it can be best spent. We want to see bus services improved in York and more people using them but unfortunately this looks just another Labour stick to beat the motorist rather than a carrot to improve things with public transport.
The trial is going ahead with no metrics at all on what success will look like, for example no % reduction in bus journey times. The recommendation to the Executive is clear that it is just for a trial and it is vital that is what it should be – and without a notable improvement in bus journeys the trial should be aborted.
