A plan to implement all-day bus lanes on Ecclesall Road and Abbeydale Road have left business owners worrying about their trade.<\/p>\n
The proposition from Connecting Sheffield means that bus lanes would run from 7am until 7pm, meaning other vehicles will not be able to park or wait.<\/p>\n
This is to encourage people to travel by public transport instead of their own vehicles \u2013 reducing congestion and carbon emissions.<\/p>\n
One business owner who has been on Ecclesall Road for 24 years told Sheffield Wire: \u201c[My business] depends on my customers being able to come and park outside the office.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf my customers can\u2019t park outside, I am bound to lose business and it\u2019s going to cost me a lot of money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another owner said: \u201cBus lanes are great, but not for 12 hours a day on a busy street where there are lots of independent businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Labour candidate for South Yorkshire Mayor, Lewis Dagnall, told Sheffield Wire that, though there may be some short-term disruptions, the new proposal might improve business: \u201cIf we can get to a situation where the vast majority of people are either using public transport or they’re using active travel \u2013 so they’re walking, they’re cycling \u2013 that will actually increase footfall and increase patronage of local business in that area.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a press release, Connecting Sheffield stated that it is undertaking two phases of engagement so that members of the public can voice their opinions and suggest improvements.<\/p>\n
The proposals also include reprogramming traffic lights to turn green when a bus approaches to allow traffic to move quicker, providing more consistent bus journey times.<\/p>\n