Bus Gate cameras are 'live'

Camera enforcement at two bus gates begins from midnight on Sunday 13 August as a warning period comes to an end.

The cameras are at the bus only sections of Dene Street, Silksworth, and Brancepeth Road, Washington.

By Friday 11 August, 745 warning notices had been posted out to vehicle owners after the cameras began their monitoring on Monday 24 July.

There has been a 'grace period' since they were switched-on and vehicle owners observed contravening the regulations received a warning notice.

The Silksworth camera generated 484 warning notices to vehicle owners and the Washington camera generated 261 warning notices. This warning period was ending at 0001hrs on Monday 14 August.

Footage from the cameras is reviewed by the City Council and contraventions of the traffic restrictions from next week can lead to a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) of £70.

The cameras are the first 'buses only' enforcement cameras to be used by Sunderland City Council under national legislation. Councils across the country have been adopting enforcement powers to issue fines (Penalty Charge Notices) to vehicles that break traffic restrictions, such as driving in bus lanes and through bus gate restrictions.

The £70 PCN can be discounted to £35 if paid within 21 days. If anyone receives a notice that they disagree with they can follow the appeals procedure which is detailed on the notice the registered keeper receives in the post.

A third camera is due to be installed in Holmeside in Sunderland city centre later this year. This camera will only go live when a wider regeneration scheme is complete. Both locations have had restrictions for several years - the Traffic Regulation order (TRO) for Silksworth was introduced by the City Council in 2018 and the Washington restriction dates back to 2012.

Income generated by traffic enforcement PCNs from cameras can only be used for further works on highways, public transport and environmental projects. The new enforcement does not cover speeding offences monitored by cameras which remain with Northumbria Police and the Northumbria Safer Roads Initiative (NSRI).