The failure of Liverpool’s disastrous car-free day last month was down to communication issues, it was claimed.
As part of World Car Free Day in September, Liverpool Council closed large parts of The Strand to encourage people to ditch their cars and find alternative ways to travel into town. The major route through the city was due to close for six hours with a variety of activities on offer.
However, the event was brought to a close on the waterfront road - from Chapel Street to James Street - early, amid chaos, complaints and bad weather. Problems arose with large queues of traffic building up around the city centre, while images and video of the long tailbacks were posted on social media.
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Addressing the failure of the project, Cllr Dan Barrington, cabinet member for climate change and environment, told a select committee that communication of the plans could have been better and acknowledged the scheme was going to be “controversial”. He added that the council had aimed to be “big and bold” with the scheme and held a debrief with officers from which he said they hoped to learn.
Cllr Richard Kemp, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat group, was far from impressed by what he saw last month. He said he had listened to angry businesses and drivers caught up in the scheme that was "inadequately advertised" and "not properly thought through."
Back in September, a spokesperson for Liverpool Council said the heavy rain on the day had caused the event to come to a premature end. Traffic was seen re-entering the Stand at around 1.45pm, which prompted one Twitter user to brand the day “a disaster”.
Cllr Barrington was unable to respond at the time having been on holiday until Wednesday October 12. Responding to a written question submitted to the committee, Cllr Barrington said the council would add Car Free Day for next year for its agenda on November 8.
This year’s effort was also criticised by Simon O’Brien, the walking and cycling commissioner for the Liverpool City Region. On Twitter, the former actor said: “I think next year LCC should give more warning, make buses, trains, scooters & bikes free for day and close The Strand.
“We’re not stuck in traffic, we are traffic."
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