Drivers face £70 fines as 'grace period' ends for new Sunderland bus gate cameras - what you need to know

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

They were activated on Monday, July 24 and as of 4pm on Friday, August 11, some 745 warning notices were posted out to drivers.

The Silksworth camera has generated 484 warning notices to vehicle owners, with the Washington camera bringing 261.

An initial ‘grace period’ has now come to an end, however, and from midnight on Sunday, August 13, drivers will begin receiving fines.

as a warning period comes to an end.

Footage from the cameras is reviewed by Sunderland City Council and contraventions of the traffic restrictions from August 14 can lead to a fine - Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) - of £70.

These are the first “buses-only” enforcement cameras to be used by the council under national legislation.

Councils across the country are adopting enforcement powers to issue fines to drivers of vehicles which break traffic restrictions, such as driving in bus lanes and through “bus gate” restrictions.

The £70 fine can be discounted down to £35 if it is paid within 21 days. Anyone who receives a notice they disagree with 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 a number of years. The Traffic Regulation order (TRO) for Silksworth was introduced 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. Those offences remain the responsibility of Northumbria Police and the Northumbria Safer Roads Initiative (NSRI).

However, there are still calls for clarity over the legal standing of “bus gates”.