00:00From the 15th of September, new vehicle restrictions will come in a force across the Durham City Centre,
00:06as part of Durham County Council's efforts to improve pedestrian safety and reduce congestion in some of the city's busiest areas.
00:13The council is extending the current pedestrian-only zones in locations including Durham Marketplace, Silver Street and Elvett Bridge,
00:21where concerns have been raised over the number of vehicles moving through at times of high footfall.
00:26Under the new rules, vehicles will be banned from Marketplace and Silver Street between 10am and 4pm, and again from 10pm to 4am.
00:35Elvett Bridge will see restrictions from 10am until 2am, closing the gap previously exploited by late-night traffic.
00:43These changes follow complaints from police, parish councillors and visitors about high levels of traffic, particularly overnight,
00:49which many say undermines pedestrian safety and increases the risk of accidents in areas that are meant to be largely vehicle-free.
00:58The council says the enhanced restrictions are also designed to discourage overnight parking and vehicle lightering in the pedestrian zones.
01:05To ensure the city remains accessible for deliveries and essential traffic, the new rules will still allow vehicles to load and unload during specific hours.
01:14For Marketplace and Silver Street, this will be allowed from 4am to 10am, and again from 4pm to 10pm,
01:20while on Elvett Bridge, loading will be permitted between 2am and 10am.
01:24A new no-entry restriction will be introduced next to St Nicholas Church.
01:29This measure is aimed at reinforcing a one-way system in Durham Marketplace,
01:34at a repeated incidence of drivers entering from various directions,
01:37often ignoring the informal traffic flow and creating confusion in a space heavily used by pedestrians.
01:44For more information, please visit www.elvett.com.info and visit www.elvett.com.info and visit www.elvett.com.info.
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