READING Borough Council has begun consulting on plans to change how bus lanes are used on Kings Road.
The informal consultation is seeking views from residents as it looks to change which vehicles are able to use the eastbound bus lane towards Cemetery Junction.
The proposals would see buses, motorcycles, and bicylces’ use of the lane unaffected, but would see changes for taxis and private cars.
While all licensed hackney carriages are currently permitted to use it, the change would see only council-licensed taxis permitted.
Currently no private hire vehicles are permitted, which would also be reversed as part of the plans.
Changes would affect the eastbound bus lane approaching the traffic signals at Watlington Street, currently open to buses, motorcycles, bicycles and wheelchair accessible taxi only.
They would also affect the eastbound bus lane from Watlington Street to Cemetery Junction, also currently open to buses, motorcycles, bicycles and hackney carriages only.
The consultation is informal, which means that no permanent alteration to the restrictions can be made as a result of feedback.
A statutory consultation would need to take place regarding new Traffic Regulation Orders.
It comes as concerns have been raised about the safety of Kings Road, which has seen 11 serious incidents in recent years.
Most of the incidents take place around the pedestrian crossings by the college or the Hope & Bear pub, and are in both the bus lane heading to town and on the road heading towards the A329m.
Opposition councillors launched a petition just weeks ago to make the road safer–Councillor Dave McElroy (Green Party, Redlands Ward) said in October: “Too many people are involved in accidents on Kings Road from Reading College up to and including Cemetery Junction.”
Despite this, the council responded that: “Along with TVP colleagues, the Council regularly reviews accident data along the Kings Road, and anywhere else in the borough where accidents have occurred.
“At this time, and based on historic police data, there is no evidence to suggest speed is a common contributing factor for incidents which have occurred on Kings Road.”
John Ennis, Lead Councillor for Transport, said of the informal consultation: “Kings Road is one of our busiest vehicle routes in and out of Reading, so we want as many people as possible to give their views on this to help us establish the appetite for this change.
“The restriction has been in place to ensure optimum reliability of the buses using that route by restricting the number of vehicles also using the bus lane.
“The change would bring usage restrictions in line with the Kings Road inbound (westbound) bus lane, but it would also increase the volume of traffic in the bus lanes travelling at higher speeds than those in the general traffic lanes”.
Feedback closes on Thursday, November 30, with the results set to be discussed at the Traffic Management Sub-Committee in January next year.
Residents can register their feedback via: consult.reading.gov.uk/dens/kingsbuslane/
