Town centre traders have urged the council to sort the bus gates controversy out by Christmas.
The traffic monitoring system installed on several roads in Huddersfield town centre has been blamed for shoppers no longer visiting.
In particular cameras installed on Westgate, Kirkgate and Market Street, have been at the heart of a row about a drop in trade.
Following the launch of bus gates last February, the Huddersfield Town Centre Action Group (HTCAG), has been calling for them to be abolished.
Last week the Examiner revealed that O’Neills Sports and Workwear had moved out of town.
Owner John Pettinger said customers were too scared of being fined and his business was as much as £300 per week down.
HTCAG has reported that dozens of firms around Westgate are reporting that profits have been hit, with takings down as much as 40%.
Kirklees Council has disputed that the bus gates are to blame.
VIDEO: Bus gates timelapse
After months of campaigning, HTCAG has urged the council to speed up any action.
Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman has been reported as saying he wants the issue resolved before the busy Christmas trading period.
In a letter to the council, HTCAG chair, Alisa Devlin, who runs La Fleur on Westgate, said: “We now need urgent action before this town becomes like Dewsbury, where free parking was introduced far too late.
“These bus gates need to be stopped and free parking introduced in all areas outside Kingsgate to get this town bustling again.
“Your current policies are ruining the town centre which has become a ghost town.
“Just get out of your offices and come and take a look.
“It is definitely not the “booming and bustling” town centre that Clr Peter McBride keeps harping on about.
“I am sure he is taking about a different town, not the one I love to work in.”
HTCAG clashed with Clr McBride at a bad tempered meeting about the bus gates last July.
Clr McBride – the council’s town centre regeneration chief – has repeatedly insisted that the gates will benefit the town and any dip in trade was due to over-running road works.
HTCAG members stormed out of the July 12 meeting with Clr McBride amid frustration at the “complete arrogance and disdain” for their case.
Clr McBride has said the council is monitoring footfall in the town centre but has given no commitment to any review into the bus gate system.
The controversial restrictions were installed to prevent people flouting rules on Westgate and Kirkgate and to free up bus routes on roads in and out of the bus station.
Drivers who flout the rules are fined £60, or £30 if they pay within 14 days.
