Residents in Southampton protest against a bus gate
The city council is running a 6 month trial
Last updated 24th Mar 2025
Scores of residents have taken to a Southampton high street as they stepped up their campaign against a bus gate.
The city council is running a six-month trial of a bus, taxi and cycling-only restriction in part of Portswood Road at certain hours of the day.
The scheme, which also includes buildouts and traffic filters in some nearby residential roads, has been controversial.
A protest against the bus gate saw residents with banners, placards and megaphones walk along the district centre on Saturday, March 22.
Resident Crispin Jameson said the campaign was needed to put pressure on the council to listen to the community and traders.
“Last time we had a petition before they started it we got nearly 3,000 people saying do not do it,” Mr Jameson said.
“What do the council do? They carry on. They are not listening.
“Look at the traders in the area, not only the residents but the traders.
“Just walk up and down Portswood. See the number of posters that are there supporting our protest against closing the road.”
Mr Jameson said the local authority was “marking their own homework” with the figures being used to assess the impact of the bus gate.
He added: “They should be asking the right questions of the residents and of the traders.
“In blunt, they should be listening.”
Fellow resident Vinod Dhawale said the Portswood Road restrictions, which apply from 7am to 10am and 4pm to 7pm Monday to Saturday, had made commuting more difficult.
“I don’t think the bus gate is actually working,” Mr Dhawale said.
“It’s affecting our time to go to work and come back
“ Another thing that is really awful is the local shops are suffering, so there’s a whole community around here and we are all really affected by this.”
A petition calling for the Labour administration to scrap the bus gate has received more than 1,500 signatures.
Both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat groups have backed this request.
Group leaders for the opposition parties were both at the protest to show solidarity with residents.
Conservative Cllr Peter Baillie said: “It’s a great show of strength from a community that knows it can’t afford to lose its shops.
“It wants safe roads for its people to walk up and down, which is not unreasonable.”
Cllr Baillie is tabling a motion of no confidence in environment and transport cabinet member Cllr Eamonn Keogh at full council on Wednesday, March 26.
The Harefield ward councillor added: “This sort of thing is a disgrace to be happening and it’s an affront to democracy.”
Cllr Richard Blackman, Liberal Democrat, said he was particularly concerned about the impact the bus gate was having on residents in Brookvale Road and businesses in Portswood.
On the size of the protest, he said: “It’s clearly showing the strength of feeling in Portswood and beyond.
“Some of my constituents in Bassett have come down as well, so there is a great deal of concern about the impact of the bus gate.”
He said he would like to see Labour council leaders listen and demonstrate they were listening.
“As Liberal Democrats, we’ve called for the end of the bus gate,” Cllr Blackman said.
“It looks like the trial will continue but I think at that point all the concerns of people need to be taken into account and if it’s demonstrated not to have work then it needs to be ended.”
Earlier this month the council removed the ‘give way’ priority buildout that had been introduced in Brookvale Road between Winn Road and Blenheim Avenue.
This was after an interim recommendation from independent road safety auditors and responses from the community.
In a statement on March 4, Cllr Keogh said the local authority was listening to feedback from residents and businesses.
He said other adjustments to the trial infrastructure would be considered to address concerns and improve safety.
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