There is a proposal to get a new TRO aiming to enable non-Southampton trade to use bus lanes for the purposes of home to school transport at any time. It will be advertised for three weeks and unless there is major number of objections, the aim is to go live on 2nd of September. Please share and take part in the consultation.

Current Bus Lane Restrictions:

Taxis and private hire vehicles licensed with Southampton City Council  have unlimited access to the City’s bus lanes.

All taxis and private hire vehicles not licensed with Southampton City Council are only be allowed access to Southampton bus lanes during peak times. Vehicles must also have been first registered on or after January 2006 if petrol, or September 2015 if diesel, to access bus lanes at these peak hours, or undertaking home to school transport on behalf of Southampton City Council. (Term time only, Monday to Friday). These registration dates reflect the introduction of cleaner euro emission standards. Peak times are weekdays between 07:00 - 09:30 and 16:00 - 18:30.

Proposal:

It is proposed to allow vehicles not licensed by Southampton City Council that are undertaking home to school transport on behalf of Southampton City Council to access the bus lanes at all times, during term time and Monday to Fridays only. These vehicles will have had to be individually assigned a particular home to school transport run by Southampton City Council. This is to enable equality for the school transport service when offering contracts.

For all other vehicles not undertaking contracts for home to school transport on behalf of Southampton City Council, then the existing requirements stand:

Vehicles must be first registered on or after January 2006 if petrol, or September 2015 if diesel, to access bus lanes at these peak hours. Peak times are weekdays between 07:00 - 09:30 and 16:00 - 18:30.

Please take part in the consultation here:

transport.southampton.gov.uk/tro-consultations/moving-traffic-restrictions-amendment-2-order-2024/