Manchester City Council faced a legal challenge from Diamond Buses North West meaning they will have to reopen a section of Deansgate to buses.
Part of Deansgate in Manchester City Centre was closed to traffic after the national lockdown to help with social distancing and to allow people to return to the city over the summer.
Manchester City Council’s website posted in earlier this year that: “Climate change and air quality are important drivers for this scheme, but there are many other benefits including:
- increased footfall which will help boost economic recovery following the Coronavirus
- health and wellbeing benefits from a safe traffic free space
“We want to create a family and age-friendly space, bringing more footfall and trade to the city through local markets and other community activities.”
However, after legal challenges from DBNW the council said they felt they had no choice but the reopen the road between Blackfriars Street and King Street.
Manchester City Council said the road was originally closed under COVID-19 legislation using a Temporary Traffic Restriction Order, but DBNW has now claimed it was part of the council’s long term plan to permanently pedestrianise Deansgate.
MCC have also agreed to pay over £40,000 of the bus operator’s legal fees.
Councillor Angeliki Stogia, Executive Member for Planning, Transport and Environment, said in a press release: “It is extremely frustrating that a bus operator has chosen to go down this route.
“We should be discussing bus routes in partnership with operators rather than being threatened with legal action by them and it’s another illustration of why we need to bring bus routes back under public control.
“We believe that closing this section of Deansgate to traffic has been a success and it is something we will endeavour to make permanent as soon as we can, seeking to ensure this re-opening is brief and has minimal impact.”
Greater Manchester Combined Authority is currently running a consultation on the best way to achieve a ‘fully integrated public transport system’, which closes on 29 January 2021.
They have said their four scenarios all involve franchising the bus network to give GMCA full control over public transport in Greater Manchester.
