Since March 2007 DRAG has been active in highlighting the problems associated with the Duffield Road Bus Lane Experiment. This scheme was implemented by Derby City Council to encourage greater bus use by improving bus reliability through speeding up bus journey times.

• The bus lane experiment is for 18 months
• The bus lane is 1000 metre long and runs from Church Lane to the Broadway
• Cyclists, buses and taxis use the bus lane
• The speed limit was reduced to 30mph as part of the experiment
• ‘No parking’ restrictions have been imposed
• The lane widths are below the Dft ‘preferred’ lane width guidelines
• The lane widths in places are below the ‘minimum’ Dft lane width guidelines
• The scheme has cost in excess of £100,000
• The bus lane can only demonstrate a time saving at peak times in the morning. There in no congestion at any other time
• Two lanes have turned in to three lanes pushing the traffic to the edges of the road
• Larger vehicles traveling northbound now travel in the gutters inches away from pedestrians walking up the narrow northbound foot path
• The freedom offered by the bus lane means that taxis and buses travel in excess of 30mph
• The bus lane is often abused creating two citybound lanes of traffic
• Ferrers Way & Mileash Lane junctions are more dangerous and difficult to negotiate
• Deliveries to houses along the northbound stretch often create huge problems and block all northbound traffic
• At the Broadway bus stop vehicles blindly overtake buses into oncoming traffic
• The experiment will be reviewed in July/August 2008

• Based on current data from the council the time savings within the 1000 metre lane represents a 4 minute time saving a peak times (8-9am)
• Based on current data car journey times have increase by 1.5 minutes over the same distance at peak times since the bus lane was introduced
• Data supports the view that cars are consistently disregarding the new 30mph speed limit

At review time DRAG will be working closely with Derby City Council to discuss improvements to the scheme. There is a possibility of implementing a cycle lane and/or removing the scheme at the Mile Ash Lane junctions.  Although we welcome improvements we will be monitoring the possible negative affects of this proposal very closely

If you agree that the negative affects outweigh the benefits or a relatively small timesaving please sign our online petition. Almost 500 other people have!