Stay switched on, the cameras are
ENFORCEMENT SCHEME GOES LIVE TODAY
DRIVERS take note – bus lane enforcement in Gateshead will go live today.
Gateshead Council agreed a new civil bus lane enforcement policy in May 2016, and the authority initially planned to install cameras in November that year.
But the switch-on for six bus lanes was delayed for more than two years after a row with the private hire trade and the fact that a company involved in the project was put up for sale at the last minute.
Now, the authority has confirmed three bus lanes in Gateshead will be remotely monitored from today. These are:
■ Prince Consort Road, at its junction with the A184 Askew Road;
■ A694 between Winlaton Mill and Swalwell roundabout;
■ A184 Felling bypass at Heworth. Drivers caught falling foul of the cameras will be given a £60 fine or, if they decline to pay, face prosecution.
All three bus lanes due to be monitored have been in place for 10 years or more.
There have been no changes to the rules or restrictions on their use and no new bus lanes are being created.
The authority claims the decision to invest in cameras came after repeated complaints from the public, bus operators and Northumbria Police about motorists abusing bus lanes to avoid having to queue in traffic.
Anneliese Hutchinson, service director for development, transport and public protection, said: “We know it’s been a source of frustration for motorists who sit patiently in the correct lane at busy times, only to watch other vehicles sneak past them in the bus lanes.
“We intended to have our camera system up and running last year, but at the last moment the company we’d appointed to operate the back-office systems was put up for sale and this meant we had to start the whole procurement process all over again.
“We are now intending to have the system up and running later this month.”
Coun Hutchinson added: “There are serious concerns about air quality and the health effects of the toxic pollution caused by motor vehicles and those concerns are growing.
“It is essential that local councils find ways to reduce traffic. Bus lane enforcement will help to ensure that buses are able to provide a quick, viable and reliable alternative for some commuters.”