The Yorkshire Tribune has learned that the next phase of Leeds City Council’s plan to stop all cars entering the city centre will drastically change the bus gates and one-way system. The council has tinkered with the city centre’s roads since the introduction of bus gates in 2021, but shopkeepers and business owners are outraged at the latest plans.
Most Leeds residents agree that the bus gates are nothing more than a money-making scam. Between July and December 2023, the East Parade bus gate caught over 16,000 motorists, raising over £550,000. Fines are currently £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days.
Leeds City Council issues over 2,700 fixed penalty fines every month, a figure that is sure to rise in the coming months. Not only are some gates changing to 24-hour instead of rush hours, but the direction of traffic will alternate during the week.
More Confusing Changes Coming to Leeds City Centre
Hugh Janus, a spokesperson for Leeds City Council, laid out the latest round of changes to our city centre’s roads.
“Our plan is to make Leeds a city where you don’t need a car. What people need to realise is that the people who make these decisions don’t live in Leeds, nor do they drive into the city. To put things simply, the current bus gate setup is not confusing enough. A lack of confusion means more motorists are adhering to the rules, which, in turn, means our leaders’ bonuses are vastly reduced.”
The Yorkshire Tribune pressed Mr. Janus for more details, and he was reluctant to open up. That was until we lubricated his wheels with a few £3 pints of John Smiths at The Three Legs last Wednesday afternoon.
“Don’t tell anyone,” Mr. Janus said while wearing his tie around his head, “But big changes are coming. Monday through Wednesday, the direction of traffic remains as it is. Thursday through Saturday sees everything flip 180 degrees, and traffic will flow in the opposite direction. We’re undecided about Sundays, but we’re thinking of flipping a coin and posting the result at 11:58 p.m. each Saturday.”
Local Businesses in Uproar
Reduced footfall and changed spending habits have already played havoc with local businesses. The Tories royally screwed the great British public for years, and now Labour is essentially a red-coloured Conservative Party, so there are four years of the same. The alternating one-way system in Leeds City Centre could be the final nail in some business’s coffins.
“It takes the p**s,” were the words of Jack Robinson, who runs one of the 294 vape shops in the town centre. “They [the government] are already making it increasingly difficult to peddle our goods to school kids; now these road changes will stop their parents from coming into town, too.”
At the time of writing, no exact date for the one-way system or bus gate changes was available, but we will publish them on Yorkshire Tribune as soon as they become public knowledge.
