Cars to be banned from part of major road in Liverpool City Centre from Monday

Cars will be banned from part of a major road in the heart of Liverpool city centre between 7am and midnight, from Monday, 5 September.

A trial “bus-gate” will be reintroduced on the westbound carriageway of Ranelagh Street from the junction of Great Charlotte Street, to improve the flow of public transport for tens of thousands of passengers every day.

All traffic – except buses, taxis, private hire vehicles and bikes – will be prohibited from heading into Ranelagh Street and Hanover Street.

The Experimental Traffic Order will be in place for up to 18 months, in a bid to help reduce congestion and pollution and improve safety along this key corridor, which connects the city’s Knowledge Quarter to the waterfront. If successful, it will be made permanent.

The measure was previously in place at the end of 2020, but had to be terminated due to technical issues with enforcement cameras. These have now been resolved.

Changes are also being made to the existing disabled, taxi and loading areas, building in feedback from the previous bus gate.

The bus-gate measure will be enforced using CCTV cameras, with parking bays monitored by Civil Enforcement Officers

Councillor Dan Barrington, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, said:

“We want to support sustainable transport use by helping bus users, pedestrians and cyclists.

“The benefits of this measure will be considerable in terms of reducing congestion and improving safety in the heart of our city centre, and we have worked with our bus partners and public and private taxi sectors on making sure the design works for them.

“It has been designed to complement the changes to The Strand and Lime Street, which have now been completed.

“As this is an experimental order we will continue to monitor the road to see what difference it is making and if any further changes need to be made.”

Councillor Liam Robinson, Transport and Air Quality Portfolio Holder for the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority said:

“The reintroduction of the bus gate on Ranelagh Street will have a really positive impact in helping to reduce congestion in this part of the city centre and encourage people to use buses as their preferred way of travelling.

“We have a strong vision for improving bus services across the city region and are currently progressing City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram’s vision for a London-style transport network using new devolved powers to re-regulate our bus network which will make travelling round our region cheaper, quicker, greener and more reliable.

“This is just the first of a number of bus priority measures we are looking to introduce, alongside other exciting developments including a fleet of zero-emission hydrogen buses, and a new £2 single bus fare which we are introducing in the next few weeks.

Comments, stating the reasons for supporting or objecting to the Experimental Traffic Order, can be made up until 6 March 2023, by emailing nevil.basnett@liverpool.gov.uk quoting ref: LS/RT/NRB/TRO 10227/TM3600A/2052.3447.

For any other general queries about the scheme, emails can be sent to TMRS@liverpool.gov.uk quoting “Ranelagh Street bus-gate” in the subject line.

Learn more about travel in Liverpool City Centre here.