A new high-occupancy vehicle lane will open on one of the city’s busiest commuter routes on Monday.

The ‘2+ lane’ is being introduced on the southbound carriageway of the A650 Wakefield Road before it becomes Tong Street, which is used by 29,000 vehicles each day and where average speeds fall below 14mph at peak times.

The new lane, which will be in operation Monday to Friday between 7am and 10am and 4pm and 7pm, will give priority to vehicles carrying two or more people and can be used by cars, vans, buses, cyclists and motorcyclists.

Councillor David Green, Bradford Council’s executive member with responsibility for highways, said: “People using this lane in the mornings and evenings if they have a passenger will find they will have a quicker journey southbound on Tong Street.

“It is a much more efficient use of the roads in the rush hour and will also result in a quicker and more reliable service for bus users, and cleaner air for residents who live near this route.”

A new traffic control system installed in the area, along with the high occupancy lane, could improve journey times by up to seven minutes.

Metro chairman Councillor James Lewis said: “This new 2+ lane will contribute to reducing congestion and carbon emissions, which are key objectives of the West Yorkshire Local Transport Plan.

“We've seen the benefits of 2+ lanes elsewhere in West Yorkshire, and I'm sure this improvement in the use of available road space will soon mean quicker and more reliable journeys for the thousands of bus passengers using the A650.”

Heavy goods vehicles will be barred from using the new lane during peak times. West Yorkshire Police will monitor the scheme and issue fixed penalty notices to single occupancy vehicles using the lane. Motorists wanting to share journeys can register on wycarshare.com.

Transport company Arriva operates six services an hour along Tong Street using low-floor buses. The services operate between Bradford and Wakefield, Morley, Dewsbury and Cleckheaton.