New rules on who can use controversial Coventry city centre bus gate

Changes have been made to Whittle Arch bus gate



Rules on who can drive through a controversial city centre bus gate have been changed again by Coventry City Council.

Private hire vehicles will be able to pass through the Whittle Arch bus gate on the Trinity Street/Fairfax Street junction, it was agreed on Monday, January 20.

A current Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO), which is due to expire in March, only permits buses, taxis and cycles to enter.

A city council meeting said the new rules would ensure taxis and private hire vehicles are treated equally.

Speaking at the meeting, council officer Caron Archer said: “It was not intended to give the black cabs an unfair advantage.

“We have tried some changes and looked at what has happened, so what we would like to do is make further changes to allow the private hires through which allows greater access to the city centre.

“That will take away the concept that it is an unfair advantage to others.”

It is one of a number of changes made to the bus gate over the years – not without controversy.

The junction was closed off to become pedestrianised in 2002 as part of a regeneration project, but opened up in 2005 to allow buses and cycles to access the bus station.

In 2006, taxis and private hire vehicles were allowed following concern from the industry, and enforcement of the bus gate commenced in 2011, the meeting was told.

However, due to the “very few” private hire vehicles using the bus gate, another ETRO was signed off in 2018 which allowed taxis through 24/7 but banned private hire vehicles.

The new ETRO change will come into force on March 10 this year.

Ms Archer added in the meeting: “We will change the signage, as we have to do, and we will continue to monitor it.”

Rules change again on Coventry's Whittle Arch bus gate

Rules have changed again on who can use a controversial Coventry bus gate.

A permanent change to rules on who can drive through the Whittle Arch bus, on the Trinity Street/Fairfax Street junction, was agreed this week.

It is the latest in a long line of changes made to the bus gate over the years.

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Prior to last year, buses, cycles and taxis were allowed through but private hire vehicles and regular motorists were not permitted.

An Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) in March 2020 subsequently allowed private hire vehicles temporarily to ensure taxis were not given an “unfair advantage” over private hire vehicles.

Those changes have now been made permanent by Coventry City Council at a meeting of the cabinet member for city services on Wednesday, August 18.

Only one objection was received from a resident who feared it was pushing more traffic through the bus gate “to the detriment of pedestrians and cyclists”, calling for it to be used by buses only.

Speaking at the meeting, council officer Caron Archer said: “The concerns are it should just be for buses and the affect it has on cyclists and pedestrians with protected characteristics.

“In response to that since the first ETRO in September 18 there have been no recorded personal injuries.”

However officers admitted the latest change may not be the last.

Ms Archer added: “It is very likely there will be further changes in the city centre and it might change the Whittle Arch again.

“This is part of a much larger picture and we are looking at improvements to cyclists and pedestrians as a whole. The city centre is developing all the time.”

The changes will be made permanent on expiry of the current ETRO in September.

The bus gate has been the subject of controversy over the years with confusion over who can use it.

The junction was closed off to become pedestrianised in 2002 as part of a regeneration project, but opened up in 2005 to allow buses and cycles to access the bus station.

In 2006, taxis and private hire vehicles were allowed and enforcement of the bus gate commenced in 2011.

However, due to the “very few” private hire vehicles using the bus gate, another ETRO was signed off in 2018 which allowed taxis through 24/7 but banned private hire vehicles.

Signage however has also proved a problem with adjudicators from the Traffic Penalty Tribunal (TPT) previously branding it inadequate, having overturned a number of fines dished out to motorists on the basis of poor signage.

At the time, the council denied there was a problem and said its signage was “above and beyond what is required”.