Cameras and fines to enforce bus lane
DRIVERS WARNED AFTER FLOUTING RESTRICTIONS
MOTORISTS who flout the law by driving in this Gateshead bus lane could soon be in for an expensive shock.
The bus lane – on South Shore Road between the Sage Gateshead and Baltic – is the subject of almost daily complaints about drivers ignoring the road signs to use it as a rat run to get to and from Newcastle city centre.
But now drivers choosing to break the law in this way will have their offending captured on CCTV after an enforcement camera was installed.
The bus gate is only the fourth bus lane in Gateshead to be given a CCTV camera to discourage motorists from ignoring the law.
The council’s decision in 2016 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.
Gateshead Council agreed to use powers granted by Parliament to all local authorities in 2007 to install three CCTV cameras – at Prince Consort Road, at Swalwell roundabout and on the Felling bypass. The cameras went live 12 months ago.
Anyone caught by one of Gateshead’s cameras is issued with a £60 penalty charge notice or, if they don’t pay, they can be taken to court.
Anneliese Hutchinson, service director for development, transport and public protection, said: “We have been getting complaints about ratrunning motorists who just ignore the road signs and illegally drive straight through this bus gate.
“This is an extremely dangerous thing to do given the large number of pedestrians and cyclists who regularly cross the road at this point. On top of that, the road simply is not designed for speeding commuters.
“Presumably those who regularly break the law think they can get away with it because neither the police nor the council have the resources to put a traffic officer permanently on duty there. Well, that’s now changed.
“In future, anyone who chooses to break the law in this way may get a £60 penalty charge.”
The camera on South Shore Road will go live later this week. However, anyone caught over the next seven days will receive a written warning rather than a £60 penalty charge notice in the hope that they get the message and stop.
Ms Hutchinson added: “We have had a lot of success with bus lane cameras. We’ve seen levels of offending drop significantly at the three sites where we have erected cameras, so we know they work.
“We need to enforce these bus lanes because it will help to ensure that public transport is able to provide a quick, viable and reliable alternative to the private car for commuters.
“We sincerely wish this new camera wasn’t necessary, but the easiest way to avoid paying a penalty charge is not to drive in a bus lane.”