Action on New Road Bus Lane, Stoke Gifford

Jack Lopresti MP met with residents and the police to discuss misuse of the bus lane on New Road, Stoke Gifford, near the Parkway station railway bridge. Residents had highlighted this issue to Jack recently, and he arranged a site visit with local police and Councillor Trevor Jones to look into finding a solution.

  “There is a short section of bus lane at the top of New Road, just before the rail bridge, where it meets Brierley Furlong. There has been a problem for some time with other road users using this stretch of bus lane as a short cut to avoid queues on Brierley Furlong. Some of them are even driving the wrong way down it to get onto New Road, ” commented Jack.

Residents pointed out that these actions are dangerous for drivers turning out of New Road and Swallows Court as they don t expect to see vehicles coming this way, and it also triggers the traffic lights on Brierley Furlong, which holds up traffic on this road. The problem is worse at night when drivers don t feel that they are visible. The problem has been monitored by residents for some time, and they turned to Jack for help when it was clear that the problem was not going away.

The police were concerned to hear about these problems and agreed that it was a significant problem. They have agreed to send a team down to monitor the situation and to take action against any motorists who are breaking the law. They will also mention to South Gloucestershire Council s licensing authorities that taxis have been seen using the bus lane.

“I am very pleased that the police have agreed to take action on this problem,”  said Jack. “I am hopeful that some attention from the police will deter motorists from misusing the bus lane. I will also be writing to South Gloucestershire Council encouraging them to put either a barrier or bollards in place to end this problem once and for all. Residents in New Road and Swallows Court need to be assured that the lane is only being used by buses and I will be encouraging the Council to take action to ensure this happens. ”

Councillor Trevor Jones also commented “The Council are looking at a variety of sites where the use of CCTV may prove possible. I will be working for residents in my ward to get action taken at this location. ”

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