A6 Bus Lane, Loughborough (Hansard, 19 July 1999)

§ Ms Glenda Jackson

I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency to write to my hon. Friend.

Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Andrew Reed, dated 19 July 1999: The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Glenda Jackson, has asked me to reply to your recent question about the effect the A6 bus lane in Loughborough has had on journey times for buses and other road traffic in its first three months of operation. The bus lane between Quorn and Loughborough opened on 1^st March. It operates during peak hours between 7.30 and 9.30am and 3.30 and 6.00pm on Mondays to Saturdays. Before and after surveys have been undertaken to measure queue lengths, traffic flows and delays. A full analysis of the changes is still awaited from our managing agent for the A6, but general trends can already be identified. Bus journey time reliability has increased by 50%s on most journeys in the morning peak and the journey time between Quorn and Loughborough has been reduced by up to 7 minutes on a 15 minutes minimum journey. The effects on journey times for other traffic are less clear and data is still being assessed but initial indications are that overall journey times have not increased. In addition, there appears to have been an improvement in general traffic flow into Loughborough during the morning peak; a 20% increase in vehicle throughout has been achieved between 8am and 9am. It is considered that this is due to the more ordered nature of the queue towards the A6/Shelthorpe Road traffic signals. A full report on the A6 Quorn to Loughborough bus lane is being prepared and will be available shortly and I will ensure that you receive a copy. In the meantime, if you wish to discuss any aspect further, the Highways Agency's Route Manager for this A6 scheme is Peter Adams. He can be contacted at our office at Broadway, Broad Street, Birmingham, B15 1BL, or by telephone on 0121 678 8215.