COUNCILLORS have agreed to keep town centre roads traffic-free - permanently.

At a meeting of Middlesbrough Borough Council's cabinet this week, proposals to maintain a traffic ban on the town's Newport and Corporation Roads were endorsed.

The ban was initially introduced by the Town Centre Company on a trial basis, for six months.

It attracted opposition from traders, who claimed it harmed their businesses, and from bus users, after bus operator Arriva withdrew several services from the central station.

As part of the terms of their agreement, councillors endorsed the operation of a shopmobility scheme to give disabled people better access to the town, and pledged to work with bus companies to attract them back to the bus station.

Last night, Steve Burd, Arriva's commercial director, said he was hopeful of reaching an agreement.

"We are still in discussions with Middlesbrough council about where we stand, but we have said that if junction improvements are introduced, that should help our services," he said.

"Subject to time trials, we should be able to return a limited number of services to the bus station.

"We have also said that, if they were to introduce a one-way westbound busway along Borough Road, we believe we would be able to reintroduce service 27 and service 63."

Mr Burd maintained that the ideal option would have been reopening Corporation Road.