Letter: 'Why extending bus lane hours on Ecclesall and Abbeydale roads could help boost businesses'

However, plans for change must be based on a solid evidence base and not simply conjecture. Your recent headline about the proposed extension of bus lane hours in Ecclesall Road and Abbeydale Road states baldly that ‘Drivers bring £20m to shops.’ But do they? As Roy Morris points out in his thoughtful letter, it is a myth that significant numbers of shoppers arrive by car. In fact, a lengthy series of detailed research studies have found a pattern where “shop owners consistently overestimate the number of shoppers who arrive by car and vastly underestimate the number of people who arrive by other modes.”

A recent study in Berlin found that businesses overestimated shoppers arriving by car by a factor of three times. Instead “the vast majority of shoppers, 93 per cent, came by public transport or walked or cycled and were responsible for 91 per cent of spending.”

Another study in Toronto found over 90 per cent of shoppers “biked, walked or took public transport.” So the figure of 90 per cent arriving by car to shop in Ecclesall Road guessed at by Andy Grice simply strains the bounds of credibility.

Nobody could pretend either Ecclesall Road or Abbeydale Road are pleasant, relaxing places to walk or cycle. Once again, research has shown the benefits, not just to businesses but to local people, of attractive, well laid out streets where shoppers and others actually want to be. The report ‘Street Appeal’ commissioned by Transport for London, makes interesting reading. And the survey ‘Healthy Streets - a Business View” by the University of Westminster, gives clear evidence of how local business can benefit from “healthy streets” and that “places that performed worse” (in business terms) “tended to be dominated by motor traffic.”

Additionally, we simply cannot ignore the high levels of air pollution along Abbeydale and Ecclesall roads.​​​​​​​ So the council’s plans to extend bus lane hours, improve bus reliability and encourage active travel are key factors which could help reduce pollution, improve the environment and, not least, increase footfall for local businesses.