Cameras to be switched on to monitor new Preston bus lane

Cameras will be switched on to monitor the new restriction on Corporation Street between its junctions with Marsh Lane and Heatley Street. 

Only buses, bicycles and Hackney taxis - not private hire vehicles -  will be allowed pass through the so-called ‘bus gate’, which will be in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  

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Lancashire County Council says it will not initially be issuing fines for breaches of the new rule, but will instead send warning letters to those caught using the route unlawfully.

Following what the authority describes as “a short grace period” - the duration of which it has not specified - £70 penalty charge notices will then be issued to rule-breakers.

Signs have been erected on Corporation Street and some approaching streets to warn drivers of the change.

Alterations are also being made to the road network in the area to provide alternative routes - the most notable of which is the reversal of the one-way system on Marsh Lane between Corporation Street and Friargate in order to provide an escape route for drivers who find themselves at the bus gate and unable to proceed.  They can then head back in the direction of the university.

County Councillor Rupert Swarbrick, cabinet member for highways and transport, said of the new bus gate:

"By reducing congestion on Corporation Street, we can increase the reliability for public transport and encourage more people to think about catching the bus.

"We won't be issuing fines initially while people get used to the changes, so please be aware of the changes on these roads and follow the correct route using the clearly displayed signs."

The route will become Preston’s eighth bus-only restriction.