From Monday 8th August 2011 drivers will be issued a £60 Penalty Charge Notice (PCNs) for driving through bus gates or down bus lanes during operating times.
Tickets will be issued to the registered keepers of vehicles caught on camera flouting the rules.
During the fortnight before the 8th August cameras were already filming motorists’ abuse of bus lanes during and the resulting warning notices were issued by post.
The cameras will act as a deterrent to drivers who think it is OK to drive in the bus lanes. The bus lanes need to be clear for buses and other authorised vehicles to help improve traffic flow and reduce congestion - particularly in the city centre.
A survey carried out during January 2011 found that 1941 drivers illegally entered city centre bus lanes over a three-day period. The vast majority of these offences took place during the morning rush between 7.30 and 9am delaying buses full of passengers. The most affected bus lane was on Wellington Road leading onto the Armley Gyratory, where 572 drivers were filmed breaking the law in one day.
Further information on bus lane enforcement and how it operates within Leeds is available in the PDFs on the right of this page. Additional general information can be found in the Highway Code.