§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many experiments the Highways Agency plans to undertake with(a) high-occupancy vehicle lanes, (b) bus and taxi lanes and (c) no-car lanes. [93372]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonFour priority lane pilot schemes have been implemented to date. All are bus lanes. The Highways Agency is investigating where giving priority to certain types of traffic would be beneficial in tackling congestion in the context of the integrated transport policy. All such proposals will be monitored to ensure that the scheme objectives are realised.
Monitoring of the M4 bus lane and its associated speed limits have shown increased traffic capacity of the elevated section and improved journey times for all road users. Average savings to buses, coaches and taxis in the morning and evening periods are over 3 minutes. Other vehicles benefiting by average savings of 1 minute and 2½ in the morning and evening peaks respectively.