Sheffield Council responds as campaign for cancer charities to use bus gates continues
There are calls for vehicles transporting cancer patients to be allowed to use bus lanes without being fined
Sheffield Council has responded to calls for charities transporting cancer patients to hospital to be allowed to use bus lanes without being fined.
The council has explained that the charities could gain specialised exemptions to travel on the city’s bus lanes - but widespread changes would require a detailed review of traffic orders.
The update came after The Star backed a campaign launched by the local Liberal Democrat party to see bus gate exemptions applied to Weston Park Cancer Charity and Firefly vehicles.
Both charities offer free travel for cancer patients to and from their appointments, however concerns have been raised that their vehicles are getting stuck in traffic, causing additional stress for patients during the most difficult battles of their lives.
There are calls for the charity’s vehicles to be allowed to use bus lanes to avoid traffic jams.
The council there are a series of conditions that vehicles have to meet to gain access to bus lanes under currently regulations.
A Sheffield City Council spokesperson said: “Vehicles with 10 or more seats, including the driver, meet the definition of a bus and can be added to the permitted vehicles list.
“Vehicles with fewer than 10 seats may be considered if Firefly can provide evidence that they are carrying patients on behalf of the NHS for medical reasons.
“Firefly has not provided the evidence needed to meet either route to exemption for the vehicles concerned.”
The campaign for bus lane access was started by Dr Will Sapwell, councillor for the Stannington Ward and Chris Wray, a member of the Barnsley Lib Dems.
Coun Sapwell said that giving the charities access to bus lanes - helping them avoid traffic on busy roads - was “something simple” that could affect countless people’s lives.
“As a doctor, I know how much the impact of stress and anxiety can have on people,” he said.
“This is especially true when somebody is already ill, and being delayed for an appointment due to avoidable traffic is one thing our council can help people with.”
It is understood the petition garnered up to 800 signatures in its first week.
While vehicles can currently apply for certain exemptions, widespread changes for all forms of charity vehicles would require approval from highway bosses and reviews of the existing traffic regulation order (TRO).
A council spokesperson said: “Any change to the existing exemption criteria would be a wider City Transport policy matter, rather than an exemption specifically for Firefly, for example it would consider any other charitable vehicles that could potentially be in scope of changes.
“This would require a review of the relevant legal (TRO) exemptions.
“Any review would need to consider the impact on the number of additional vehicles using bus lanes and gates, and how any new criteria could be applied consistently.”