MOTORISTS are going to be allowed to use bus lanes in Swindon despite strong opposition from the council's traffic experts.

Swindon Council has voted in favour of opening up the town's bus lanes to all vehicles for the 12-hour period 7pm-7am.

And this change, giving greater freedom to private motorists, should be in place later this year.

Deputy leader of the council, Coun Ian Dobie (Con, Haydon Wick), told members: "Most congestion in the town is during the working day, obviously.

"The bus lanes are there to guarantee public transport a clear run during heavy traffic.

"Since there is little or no congestion outside daytime hours, it is senseless to leave the bus lanes empty."

But Coun Stan Pajak (Eastcott), the Liberal Democrat spokesman on transport, feared that the change of legislation would increase the risk of accidents.

"This will achieve nothing except put lives on the line.

"If there's no congestion during the evening and night, why bother? The bus operators are against it and it's simply going to cost the taxpayers more money for no benefits."

He then joked: "You've just lost all hope of ever having a bus named Dobie in this town."

The estimated cost is £20,000 for new signs and this expenditure will come out of next year's traffic management budget.

Coun Kevin Small (Western), the leader of the Labour group, also opposed Coun Dobie's

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plans.

"Because there's no traffic jams at night, there's not going to be any saving on journey times, therefore it's a waste of money, just as cuts are going to be made because we're told we're so cash-strapped."

But council leader Mike Bawden (Con, Old Town and Lawns) did not believe that Swindon people wanted 24-hour bus lanes.

Traffic in Swindon is forecast to grow at the rate of 2 per cent a year twice the national average.

An officers' report concluded: "While bus lanes provide very little benefit to bus-users at night, equally the use of lanes at night by cars would also provide very little benefit in journey times as the roads are already free-flowing.

"Driver compliance with bus lane regulation is much better with 24-hour operations. "

The officers recommended the retention of the 24-hour exclusion from bus lanes of all other vehicles.

But the ruling Conservatives outvoted the Labour and Liberal Democrat opposition.