REGULATIONS in a car share lane along the Avon Ring Road are set to be relaxed to ease congestion.

The 2+ lane, which can only be used by drivers with at least one passenger in their vehicle during peak hours, is thought to be adding to traffic jams on the A4174 and causing more motorists to seek alternative routes on village roads.

The change of heart is a major turnaround at South Gloucestershire Council, which introduced the pioneering scheme in 1998.

Cllr Brian Allinson (Con, Stoke Gifford), cabinet member for planning and transport, said: "We know that the ring road is suffering from an ever increasing volume of traffic and so we need to increase the capacity of the road and reduce congestion for local people.

"Traffic monitoring figures show that usage of the 2+ lane has flatlined over recent years, when we would have expected it to have risen, and this is despite promoting car sharing.

"This does suggest that of those drivers that are left, many of them simply cannot car share for various reasons."

Cllr Allinson announced a package of measures to combat congestion on the ring road which include reducing restrictions of the 2+ lane to start at 7.30am instead of 7am and allowing all HGVs and taxis to use the lane.

He said the move would mean fewer vehicles would be in the other lane and lorry drivers would not be forced to suddenly change lane on arriving at the start of the high occupancy lane. The changes have been welcomed by local councillors, who saw the 2+ lane as a catalyst for more traffic woes.

Cllr John Godwin (Con, Winterbourne) said: "Rat-running is real concern for our residents and there is a perception that motorists trying to avoid the 2+ lane drive cut through Winterbourne Down instead.

"Many residents have also said that they feel the 2+ lane begins operation too early and that this prevents solo car drivers from being incentivised to stagger journey times throughout the am peak.

"Delaying the start of the 2+ lane until 7.30am should encourage solo drivers to stagger their journey times more."

The council is now considering imposing a weigh limit on Westerleigh Road, through Henfield and Codrington, in a bid to stop HGV drivers using rural roads to access the M4 motorway at Tormarton.

Added Cllr Allinson: "We need to be careful that we don’t simply divert HGVs along other rural routes instead and so this proposed study will examine thoroughly the advantages and disadvantages of a weight limit at this location."