People power pulls plug on Exeter bus lane plan

More than 800 people objected to the proposal

People power has pulled the plug on a plan to make more room for buses in Exeter.

A bus lane in busy Cowick Street currently operates from 8am until 9.15am every weekday, giving passengers a chance to beat the rush hour jams.

Members of the Exeter highways and traffic orders committee were asked to consider keeping it open for longer - from 7am until 10am and from 4pm until 7pm every day except Sunday.

They heard it could increase the number of buses and smooth the way for school transport. It would also tie in with Devon County Council’s long-term plans to get more people using public transport and cut the number of cars on the road.

But extending the bus lane times would come at a price - and local residents came out strongly against the plan. More than 750 people signed a petition against it, and there were nearly 800 objections in all.

Some said local businesses would be affected by a loss of parking spaces.

“It’s just a non-runner,” said Cllr Rob Hannaford (Ind, Exwick and St Thomas). “Hundreds of people are against it, and we need to listen to local people and local businesses. This is not wanted."

Cllr Adrian Fullam (Lib Dem, St Thomas) said Cowick Street had been the ‘gateway to Exeter’ for centuries, and many of its shops relied on the ‘drop-in’ trade from people parking in the street.

Cllr Yvonne Atkinson (Lab, Alphington and Cowick) supported the plan, saying it was part of a strategy to improve the city’s bus services, and could always be reviewed in future if it failed, but Cllr Laura Wright (Lab, St Thomas) added: “This is a huge number of objections over 150 yards of road. I don’t think we can just dismiss those. We have got lessons we have to learn.”

City council leader and former bus driver Phil Bialyk (Lab, Exwick) wondered if the plan was just ‘change for change’s sake’.

“It won’t make a big difference,” he said. “And it will inconvenience a lot of people.”

The committee voted not to go ahead with the plans.