In January 2025, a traffic-calming gate was installed by the local council in the Portswood area of Southampton on the south coast of England. But when this bus gate (a section of road where only buses and other authorised vehicles are allowed to pass) was removed following months of consultations, the debate quickly became polarised.

Supporters of the bus gate pointed to better bus journeys, fewer vehicles on the high street and a safer environment for walking and cycling. Critics of the traffic-calming scheme highlighted increased congestion on neighbouring roads and disruption to daily life, including reduced access to local shops and schools, and longer, slower car journeys.

Many of the scheme’s intended benefits appeared quickly. Yet opposition grew faster than support. The lesson from Portswood is not that measures like bus gates cannot work. It’s that people often experience their costs and benefits differently to what is expected.

Southampton is not an anomaly. Similar debates have played out in Oxford, London, Preston, Aberdeen and many other towns and cities trying to reduce traffic while improving public transport and the local environment. However, these schemes have become so politically charged that the reversals of them are being used to win electoral votes.

The short-lived Portswood bus gate restricted access along a busy Southampton high street to buses, taxis, bicycles and e-scooters during commuting hours. The scheme successfully cut traffic on the high street by between 60% and 75%. Monitoring showed bus punctuality improvements across most routes by up to 26%. Cycling........

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