Gates move slows buses and trams

PUBLIC transport in Hillsborough has become more unreliable since the bus and tram gates were opened up to all traffic during the day, new research has revealed.

After a campaign by traders who said their businesses were suffering, in November last year the controversial gate was opened to general traffic between 11am and 3pm, Mondays to Saturdays, and all day on Sundays.

A study carried out by Sheffield Council has now found that the percentage of bus services arriving on time during the "inter-peak" period has fallen by 9.6 per cent, from 70.2 per cent to 60.6 per cent.

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The figures compare a period between November 7 2008 and February 7 2009 with the same time period in 2009/10.

A report written by Simon Green, executive director for Sheffield Council's "Place" section – which oversees departments such as planning, development and the environment – is set to go before a highways committee meeting tomorrow.

In that report, Mr Green says that journey times for both buses and trams have "significantly increased" since the restrictions on the gates at Middlewood Road and Langsett Road were relaxed.

He says: "Initial findings have begun to indicate some trends emerging, for example increases in public transport journeys times, improvements in trade, less abuse of the bus and tram gate, fewer accidents and improvements to air quality.

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"However, there is an insufficient stable period of data available at present to draw any definitive conclusions."

The figures are based on a sample of bus services operating through Hillsborough, from November 2008 to January 2009, and then again for the same time period of 2009/10.

From Holme Lane to Hillsborough Interchange Monday to Friday journey time has increased on average by 22.8 seconds and journeys on Saturdays have increased on average by 54.6 seconds.

Buses between Hillsborough Interchange and Taplin Road, meanwhile, are an average of 15 seconds slower during the week and 36.6 seconds slower on Saturdays.

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Weekday tram journey times have also increased by up to five minutes between Middlewood and Forbes Road.

The gates were introduced in February 1996 but, in recent years, motorists began ignoring the restrictions, causing delays to both buses and trams.

Between 2001 and 2006 bus passenger numbers in Hillsborough fell by 25 per cent compared with 11 per cent elsewhere in the city, and growth on the tram system slowed.

As a result, the tram gates began being enforced by cameras from 7am to 7pm, seven days a week, with those motorists driving through them receiving a penalty charge notice (PCN).

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After a campaign by local people who claimed the restrictions were "damaging to the economic well-being of Hillsborough centre" the new time restrictions were introduced in November 2009.

Mr Green's report is the first in a series to monitor the impact of the relaxation of the restrictions.

Other findings are that the number of PCN's issued has fallen since the changes, and takings in Hillsborough shopping centre have increased by about 45 per cent – although this does not account for the Christmas upturn in sales.

The report concludes: "In summary, it is too early to draw conclusions as to whether the experiment has been a success or not.

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"The period of this first monitoring report includes a settling in period where people would still have been unaware or unfamiliar with the new arrangements. Certain events will have skewed the patterns."

A second monitoring report is due in June 2010.