UPDATES to traffic signals at a busy North Somerset junction should allow for further priority of buses and increasingly allow proper use of bus lanes, authorities said.

The news comes amid criticism that First Bus XI service are failing to use dedicated lanes at Brockley Combe Junction amid concern the lanes are too narrow.

The X1 service runs between Weston-super-Mare and Bristol.

There have been several reports of buses using normal traffic lanes instead of the designated bus lanes, claimed passenger John Osborne who catches the bus in Congresbury.

“This is because the bus lanes are too narrow, so they are using the car lanes instead,” he said.

“Never have I ever been on the bus when they were using the correct lane.”

The bus lane at Brockley Combe meets government guidelines and improved GPS signals on vehicles will ensure greater synchrony with traffic lights at the junction, said a North Somerset Council spokesperson.

“This means the traffic lights now have enhanced capability to sense an approaching bus, which then triggers the lights to change, to give that bus priority over general traffic where safe to do so," the spokesperson said.

The traffic light changes are welcome because they allow smoother traffic for all vehicles, said a First Bus spokesperson.

“We welcome the changes made to the traffic lights by the council, so they track bus locations, so our services are given priority over other traffic,” the spokesperson said.

“We are now testing this, and we will be asking all our drivers to use the bus lane to take full advantage of this prioritisation.”