Oxford Road bus gate is now open

26 Sep 2016

From Monday, 26 September, every motorist driving through the bus gate will receive a warning letter or a penalty charge notice

The bus gate is a section of Oxford Road (between Hathersage Road and Booth Street) that gives priority to buses, cyclists and taxis – general traffic is prohibited.

It has  been created to improve bus services by reducing journey times and increasing reliability. It will provide a better service for passengers and ultimately contribute to and encourage greater use of public transport.

The bus gate is well signed and motorists should follow the alternative routes. The signage has been in place since July, but CCTV cameras are now active.

Key dates

• Monday, 12 September - Sunday, 25 September 2016: warning letters will be issued to all motorists;
• Monday, 26 September - Sunday, 9 October 2016: motorists who drive through the bus gate for the first time will also get a warning letter. Motorists who have previously received a warning letter and continue to drive through the bus gate will get a penalty charge notice (PCN);
• Monday, 10 October 2016: the Oxford Road bus gate will become fully active and closed to general traffic, and every motorist – other than buses, cyclists and hackney carriage taxis – will receive a penalty charge notice should they drive through.

The bus gate opens as Transport for Greater Manchester have now completed improvement works on Oxford Road to create a pedestrian, cylist and bus-friendly space. New bus lanes and stops have been added, along with new segregated cycle lanes and ‘Dutch-style’ bike bypasses which, safely separate cyclists from buses. At bus stops, instead of overtaking a bus, the rider can cycle ‘behind’ the stop, making it easier and safer for more people to use the popular route.

The Oxford Road works are part of a £1 billion package of city centre infrastructure improvements to be completed by 2017.