There are 'no clear benefits' to the bus gate trial in Portswood, a councillor has said.

Swaythling ward councillor Thomas Gravatt, who represents nearby Swaythling, said traffic was being pushed onto smaller surrounding roads.

“Every problem that has arisen was predicted,” Cllr Gravatt said.

“The scheme has been so watered down that it was doomed to fail.

“This is not going to work and it is not going to get any better.

“There is no big pot of money to put improvements in. It is best to cut our losses and scrap it.”

The six-month trial of a bus, taxi and cycling-only restriction in part of Portswood Road at certain hours of the day started in late January with the aim of improving air quality.

Within less than two weeks of Southampton City Council starting to issue issuing warning notices to any motorists caught by enforcement cameras flouting the rules, more than 1,100 warnings were sent out.

A petition launched on the council’s website demanding the scheme be axed is approaching 1,000 signatures at the time of publication.

Cllr Gravatt said the Liberal Democrats were generally supportive of measures to make the community better for pedestrians and cyclists, and to encourage public transport.

He said the council’s scheme in Portswood did not deliver this.

“It doesn’t help the community, it doesn’t help the high street,” Cllr Gravatt said.

“It is being made without public support.

“For anything like this to succeed you need to bring the community with you.”

Alongside the bus gate, the Portswood active travel zone includes 20mph speed limits, adjusted build outs to reduce speeds in Brookvale Road and a traffic filter at Russell Place to prevent increases in traffic, the council said.

At the full council meeting on Wednesday, February 26, Conservative group leader Cllr Peter Baillie said the handling of the bus gate had been the “highest degree of ineptitude”.

Cllr Baillie called on Labour cabinet member for environment and transport Cllr Eamonn Keogh to resign, warning he would face a motion of no confidence at the full council meeting on March 26 if he remained in post.

In response to questions over the petitions, Cllr Keogh told the LDRS: “An independent road safety audit was undertaken on the design of the measures with a follow up audit now underway following the implementation of the measures, which will be completed in the coming weeks.

“The audit will inform if any adjustments are needed to the measures currently in operation at this location.

“We remind all drivers of the importance of complying with the regulations in force on any road and this supports the safety of everyone getting around the city.”

Cllr Keogh said the trial was thoroughly monitored and feedback from residents and stakeholders, including petitions, was taken on board.

He said feedback received had already led to adjustments being made.