Buses in Manchester city centre are to be restricted to a 10mph limit after an investigation by the city’s newspaper.

The decision was made after the Manchester Evening News went out with a radar gun and recorded the speed of buses in the busiest pedestrian areas.

It follows the deaths of four pedestrians who were each hit by buses in the city centre – although none were directly attributed to speed.

The deaths raised concerns about the dangers of buses in heavily pedestrian areas.

And as a result of the study, rules are to be brought in to slow them down to 10mph, and force them to drive with dipped headlights. It would be as part of a voluntary code of practice between the local authority and bus operators.

Outside the busiest areas, they would have a 20mph limit.

If the plan works it would be introduced in towns across the Greater Manchester area.

On one 30mph stretch of the city centre, where a 45-year-old man was killed – and where speed humps are supposed to slow traffic – the MEN radar recorded a bus travelling at 34mph.

At the scene of another death, the speed trap measured a bus at 38.8mph.

The progress of the new code will be monitored – both by police who will check the bus speeds, and by the bus operators, who will have to make sure drivers are not under increased pressure to meet timetable requirements if they are slowing down to 10mph.

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