Source: City of Portsmouth
A recent trial allowing Private Hire Vehicles (PHVs) to use a limited number of bus lanes in Portsmouth will not be extended, following a monitoring report presented at the Transport Cabinet Decision Meeting on 24 October 2024. PHVs, such as Aqua Cars and Uber, are pre-booked vehicles, unlike hackney carriages, which can be hailed at fixed taxi ranks.
The Portsmouth City Council trial, which began in November 2022 and became permanent in January 2024, allowed PHVs licensed by the council to use five specific bus lanes across the city. However, with no demonstrated benefits to overall traffic flow, potential safety concerns for expanding the trial, and significant implementation costs, the council has decided not to expand this initiative further.
In line with national guidance and like most cities, Portsmouth’s bus lanes are typically reserved for buses, cyclists, rental e-scooters, hackney carriages, and emergency vehicles. Unauthorised vehicles, including PHVs, face a £70 fine if improperly using these lanes. Reserving bus lanes for designated vehicles helps buses remain on schedule and improves general traffic flow across Portsmouth, where bus ridership is up 20% from last year, and approximately 12 million passengers use the bus network annually.
Portsmouth has recently benefitted from a £48 million investment in a transformation of buses, which supports new electric buses, ticketing improvements, and enhancements to bus stops and signage. Additional improvements to further support the city’s bus infrastructure are planned over the next six months.
Cllr Peter Candlish, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “This trial aimed to explore how we might sensibly support private hire vehicles, which provide an important 24-hour on-demand travel option. While they can play a role in reducing congestion, there was insufficient evidence of traffic flow improvement, along with considerable costs and limited data to support expanding this initiative at this time. Given current pressures on council funds, we have other areas where this money can have a greater impact for the city.”
The five bus lanes included in the original trial will remain accessible to Portsmouth City Council licensed Private Hire Vehicles, with ongoing monitoring to assess any future impacts.