"Unsafe" high street bus lane to stay as council denies it caused rise in injuries

City transport officials have announced that the bus lane which was installed on Gosforth High Street in March last year will be staying, after an 18-month trial.

The public transport priority route replaced the controversial bollards that had lined the street since 2020, under a previous vision to create extra space for cyclists and pedestrians.

It has become a source of contention itself, with opponents claiming that the bus lane had led to a spike in accidents and not helped with ambitions to regenerate the high street as a popular destination rather than a thoroughfare.

During a public consultation on the project, 346 public objections were lodged compared to 134 supportive comments and 57 neutral responses.

Newcastle City Council said on Wednesday that the scheme had improved bus journey times and had “minimal impact” on other journeys.

The local authority accepted that there had been a “slight rise in injury collisions” on the high street since the bus lane’s arrival, but denied that it was the cause.

It said that removing the bus lane would be a “retrograde step” and that it should be the starting point for additional measures, promising further phases of the route’s development that would include “improved walking and cycling routes to the high street”.

Labour councillor Marion Williams, the council’s cabinet member responsible for transport, added: “As we have set out, we’re committed to improving road safety, creating better public transport links and encouraging active travel around the Gosforth High Street area. I would like to thank everyone who took part in the public consultation on this first phase of improvements, focusing on prioritising public transport on one of the busiest routes for buses in the city.

“We’ve looked at the data and the feedback from the public and we know that the scheme works well, with bus passengers seeing improvements in their journey times and bus reliability which is exactly the change we need to encourage people out of their cars and onto public transport, as we create a more sustainable city.

“This is only the first phase of the plans for this area, we will be looking at further improvements, especially around active travel, which we know people are keen to see and which will further support people in being able to make sustainable choices on how they move around the city.

“We will be inviting local people to help shape the next phase of improvements.”

Citing data from the North East Road User Casualties Dashboard, walking and cycling campaigner Space for Gosforth said earlier this year that nine people were injured on the central section of the high street between April 2023 and February 2024 – compared to a yearly average of only 3.4 from 2014 to 2023.

The group claimed the bus lane was “unsafe and excludes vulnerable users as well as failing to encourage active travel”, demanding its immediate removal.

City council leader Nick Kemp subsequently cast doubt on the allegation, saying the figures included a person getting their fingers caught in a taxi door and passengers falling over while on the bus.

The council has now published conflicting figures stating that there were eight collisions involving an injury in the 18 months since the bus lane was installed, compared to 20 in the previous five years.

A report from civic centre transport officers added: “Closer inspection of the accident data has revealed that the presence of the bus lane is not attributed as a contributory factor, however the council will continue to monitor the situation.”

NewcastleWorld: Essential is our weekly newsletter, delivering the city’s best bits to you inbox - sign up here

Local Lib Dem councillor Tom Woodwark said the retention of the bus lane would be welcome for passengers, but “reveals no longer term plan for the High Street, which is desperately needed if it is to survive and thrive, locks in a layout which doesn’t meet what councillors voted for, and doesn’t address the accident data that have raised concerns previously”.

He added: “The council must provide a long term plan, and must engage properly with residents, not like last time.”

But fellow Gosforth councillor Doc Anand, the city’s only elected Conservative, said he felt the council had “done the best they can”.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I think they tried and you can’t make everyone happy, but I think most people accept it now that the infernal bollards have gone.”