Trade up as gates open but buses and trams pay price
TRADERS in Hillsborough say business has increased as a result of the relaxation of the bus and tram gates.
They believe the rise could be as high as 45% but the council says it may not be an accurate figure because the period includes Christmas shopping and the New Year sales.
In general the council is expected to ask for more detailed research into the consequences of the controversial opening the bus and tram gates outside peak times.
Restrictions were lifted last November so that vehicles other than public transport could pass between Langsett Road and Middlewood Road between 11am and 3pm from Monday to Saturday and all day on Sunday without being caught on camera and fined.
It followed pressure from local businesses and residents.
Highways officers say initial findings have indicated some trends but it is too early to draw definitive conclusions.
They are asking councillors today to spend around 10,000 on a market research with a view to another report being presented in June.
For the moment the trends suggest shoppers are returning to the district centre.
"Hillsborough traders have verbally reported being busier following the change in hours of operation," says executive director Simon Green. "However, there is no hard evidence to support this at this stage."
Since the changes were made, there is less abuse of the peak time restrictions and congestion on side roads has eased because motorists are no longer looking to avoid the enforcement of the bus and tram gate.
"Traffic levels on the surrounding roads, including Taplin Road, Hillsborough Road and Limbrick Road, have all decreased since the change in hours of operation," says Mr Green.
"While traffic on Walkley Road has marginally increased, this is still lower than when enforcement started."
In addition initial research suggests the number of accidents is down and air quality is better.
But improvements appear to have come at a cost to buses and trams, as critics warned. When the relaxation of the restrictions was proposed, 1,500 passengers signed a protest petition.
Journey times for buses and trams travelling through Hillsborough Corner have increased significantly and punctuality has worsened. Numbers of bus passengers have dropped, although they have gone up on the tram.
All the early finding are being reported today to councillors – with a caveat.
"In summary it is too early to draw conclusions as to whether the experiment has been a success or not," says Mr Green.
"The period of this first monitoring report includes a settling-in period where people would still have been unaware or unfamiliar with the new arrangements.
"Certain events will have skewed the patterns, such as Christmas, the recent severe weather and road closures and diversions."
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Tuesday 07 February 2012
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