Fewer visitors at this year’s Lincoln Christmas Market
Lincoln Christmas Market organisers say early indications show that visitor figures for this year’s event are lower than last year.
The final figures won’t be known until Tuesday though, as a third party collates the numbers for the City of Lincoln Council.
A new one-way system has been enforced at this year’s market for safety reasons, following overcrowding issues last year.
In 2011 the market had a bumper year, when 350,000 people attended, after the market was cancelled for the first time in 2010 due to severe weather.
Organisers say early indications show figures are lower than last year, but comparable to previous years.
They were expecting some 300,000 visitors this year.
Traders on Steep Hill and Bailgate have complained that the one-way system led to significantly lower trade on the first day of the market than in previous years.
They argued that due to the one-way system, people did not return to their shops because the route around the market was too long.
Following the complaints from traders, the City Council decided on Friday to allow two-way traffic in market areas at quieter times.
The one-way system was in place all of Thursday and Friday morning. It was first relaxed from Friday midday.
Then on Saturday afternoon the one-way system was reintroduced due an influx of people arriving on trains and coaches.
Throughout Sunday the one-way system was not enforced at all, so overall it was instated for around a third of the market period.
