Motorists could end up handing over millions of pounds in fines a month if they do not stop illegally driving in bus-only zones in Leicester.
The city council has decided to start enforcing five routes designated for buses, meaning drivers caught on camera flouting the rules will be issued with £60 fines.
Traffic surveys at the soon-to-be-enforced routes have indicated drivers ignored the rules on 138,400 occasions over a month-long period.
If each of those drivers had been issued with a £60 penalty, that could have potentially generated more than £8 million in a month, or more than £4 million if each fine attracted the 50 per cent discount which applies if it is paid within 14 days.
The city council insists its aim in installing the cameras is not to generate cash but to reduce the number of cars in bus-only routes, freeing up buses from from congestion and shortening journey times.
Officials say this is part of a long-term strategy to make public transport a more attractive alternative to private car use to ease pressure on the city’s congested roads.
Where?
There will be camera in Duns Lane inbound, in the West End, and on the inbound lane of Lutterworth Road, just south of Marsden Lane, in Aylestone.
Both cameras are due to be switched on from Monday.
For the first two weeks, anyone caught by the new enforcement cameras will be issued with a warning notice.
Fixed penalty notices will come into effect from Monday, September 22.
Bus lane flouters in numbers
Traffic surveys were carried out for 24 hours over seven days.
They indicate the number of people ignoring the restrictions at each location.
Duns Lane outbound - 48,000 a month
Narborough Road - 56,000 a month Lutterworth Road (Marsden Lane junction) - 27,500 a month
Humberstone Road (between Dysart Way and Forest Road) - 7,400 contraventions a month.
They will be followed by camera enforcement at three other key bus routes from late-September.
Cameras will be in Humberstone Road, at its junction with Forest Road, and in Duns Lane outbound, from Monday September 24.
A further enforcement camera will be activated in Narborough Road, at its junction with Fullhurst Avenue, from Monday, October 9.
All new cameras will be introduced with a two-week warning notice period.
They will enforce around the clock, seven days a week,
The council says the cameras will be clearly signposted to deter motorists from using the bus-only routes.
What's happening in politics?
Deputy city mayor for environment and transportation Councillor Adam Clarke said: “Surveys show that thousands of drivers illegally use these bus-only routes every week, causing delays to bus journey times and increasing congestion.
“Enforcement cameras have proven to be an effective way of cutting the number of drivers that flout bus lane restrictions.
“It’s important that the council does all it can to encourage more people to take the bus, not least because transport currently accounts for a quarter of the city’s carbon emissions.
“Helping reduce unnecessary delays by enforcing existing bus lane restrictions will help improve journey times for thousands of bus passengers, and play an important part in addressing the climate emergency declared last February.”
The cost of buying and installing the cameras, maintaining them for three years and putting in the signs required at the five sites is around £207,000.
All surplus cash raised by contraventions will be used for investment in highways and transport improvements projects in the city.
