Ipswich West End Road bus lane only used every 20 minutes

It is used by only three buses an hour – by Park and Ride services between the town centre and Copdock.

And there are unlikely to be any further services using the route because it serves very few homes.

Suffolk County Council introduced the bus lane last month – but Ipswich Borough Council feels it is in the wrong place.

Ipswich Borough Council executive member Phil Smart said: "We are in favour of bus lanes so didn't want to object - but let's be clear, there are dozens of roads in Ipswich that need one more than this!"

Phil Smart, of Ipswich Borough Council (Image: IBC)

The proposal first surfaced more than a year ago – and some at the borough thought the idea had been quietly dropped.

One backbench Labour councillor said: "If the county had wanted to discredit bus lanes generally they couldn't have done a better job than put it in here."

Although few buses use the lane, its arrival has caused problems for motorists – especially at rush hours.

It is an experimental lane and a public consultation is due to start on it early next month.

A spokesman for Suffolk County Council said: “The experimental bus lane has been implemented as part of the county council’s ambition to provide faster, more reliable bus services whilst reducing the number of vehicles in the town.

"The experimental measure has been made in response to a request from the Bus Enhanced Partnership which includes the main bus operators in the town.

“A consultation survey has been created and can be completed between August 1 and September 29."

The bus lane was installed in West End Road because it is a wide carriageway and did not need any engineering work to create room for it, all it needed was a white line.

And while only three buses an hour use it, they are used by county (and borough) council employees who use the Park and Ride and have travel to their offices by bus.