Sheffield traffic: Bus gate means only taxis and buses can travel north on Arundel Gate in city centre

Starting from Monday (March 20), only buses, taxis and ‘other authorised vehicles' will be able to travel north on Arundel Gate in the city centre. General traffic that enters the bus gate will be subject to a £60 penalty, in keeping with a number of others across the city.

The northbound route on Arundel Gate already has a bus lane and feeds into a bus gate at the junction with High Street.

The bus gate will apply to the northbound route only and will restrict traffic from travelling beyond the Novotel Hotel access point, by the Millennium Gallery, when coming from the direction of Furnival Gate. All traffic will be able to use Arundel Gate in a southbound direction.

It means general traffic will not be able to use Arundel Gate as a through-route between the Furnival Square roundabout and the Park Square roundabout. Vehicles will still be able to access the Q-Park car park and Novotel Hotel before entering the bus gate.

The council claims this arrangement means “access to all businesses on Arundel Gate will be maintained, but the route that some drivers will need to take may need to change”.

The council called Arundel Gate one of the city’s most polluted areas.

The new bus gate is being implemented through an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO). A period of statutory consultation is taking place for the first six months and the experimental order will run for up to 18 months. The same order was used to pedestrianise areas of Archer Road and Nether Edge last year.

During this consultation, the public can provide feedback on the operation of the bus gate, before a decision is made on whether the bus gate is to be retained permanently.

The council say the bus gate is to cut pollution, traffic and make travel easier for pedestrians, cyclists and bus users.

Further information can be found on the Connecting Sheffield website.

Councillor Mazher Iqbal, co-chair of the transport, regeneration and climate policy committee, said: “Arundel Gate is one of the most polluted spots in the city and the Council must do all it can to reduce these dangerous pollution levels. We cannot ignore the devastating effects pollution can have on people’s health, particularly the elderly, children and people with existing health conditions.

“We encourage local people to have their say on this measure now to help us as we progress our plans. The statutory consultation is live now and will be for the first six months. Everyone’s feedback will be considered before a decision is made on whether or not to keep the bus gate in place.”

It comes weeks after the introduction of the council’s hotly-contested Clean Air Zone barring pollutant private vehicles from entering large parts of the city centre, and the shelving of its bitterly opposed ‘red line’ plan to prevent parking on Ecclesall Road.