Bus lane is opening on main route into the city

CARB DRIVERS FACE £70 FINES FOR STRAYING

DRIVERS risk £70 fines if they go into a bus lane that becomes operational tomorrow.

The lane on the city-bound A50 Groby Road runs from just before the junction with Mary Road to just after Medina Road.

Use will be monitored by cameras. The council said fines will not be issued from day one.

Installed at a cost of £50,000, work took place at the weekend with the marking out of lines.

The scheme forms part of the city council’s Leicester North West Major Transport Project and Leicester Enhanced Bus Partnership Scheme – an initiative which aims to transform services over the next eight years.

Council bosses said the lane is being created to help improve traffic flow and the reliability of buses on the busy route into the city.

Eight services will operate along the route, with seven buses into Leicester every hour.

Councillor Adam Clarke, deputy mayor for transport and the environment, said: “The A50 Groby Road is a major route for bus services into the city.

“Currently, the volumes of traffic are creating a pinch point for buses along this stretch of road.

“This means that services are often delayed and can become unreliable at busy times.

“Creating the bus lane will improve bus journey times and the reliability of services using this route, including the new Greenlines Hospital Hopper electric bus service which was launched last month to provide an easy-to-use, fast and efficient service connecting the city’s three main hospitals to the city centre.”

An expanded 30mph speed limit zone will run the entire length of the bus lane.

Coun Clarke said: “Encouraging people to travel by bus rather than by car is vital to easing congestion and improving air quality, as part of the council’s environmental goals, so it’s important that buses are able to run on time and be reliable.

“Installing this bus lane will reduce bus journey times and help make bus travel a more attractive, dependable option.”