Camera bid to catch drivers in Walsall bus lanes

A mobile camera to capture drivers who illegally use bus lanes in Walsall will be introduced by October, council chiefs have announced. Motorists caught by the camera will be given a £60 fine, which will be halved if paid within 14 days.

Those who fail to pay within 56 days will see the bill rise by 50 per cent to £90. A month-long amnesty is due to be put in place where warnings rather than fines are issued. The council's cabinet are being asked to agree the full details of the scheme to target queue-jumping traffic.

It will generate about £15,000 a year, and money will be ploughed back into the initiative which has received the backing of the full council.

In his report to cabinet members, group leader for traffic management Paul Leighton says: "It is anticipated that implementation of bus lane enforcement, utilising a mobile enforcement camera, will commence in October.

"All existing bus lanes, together with the associated signage, have been assessed for compliance with regulations, and rectification works have been programmed for the summer period, where necessary.

"It is intended that for the first month of introduction of the mobile enforcement camera, only warnings will be given to those contravening regulations.

"The application of bus lane enforcement with an appropriate level of penalty charge will ensure that unnecessary delays to public transport are reduced.

"The operation of reliable public transport is vital for the local economy."

The council says there has been regular requests for action from bus operators as cars clogging up bus lanes can impact on route schedules. It will also allow police to focus their resources elsewhere.

Bus lanes are in operation on sections of some of the borough's busiest routes including Wolverhampton Road, Bloxwich Road and Hatherton Road.

Once the council takes on bus lane enforcement, it says it will help to tackle hotspots in the town centre.

By Craig Hughes