Drivers warned of £70 fines as new 'bus gate' cameras go live in Sunderland city centre

Drivers are being warned that 'bus gate' cameras are going live in Sunderland City Centre.

The cameras are at the bus only section of Holmeside.

The cameras will be live from 00.01hrs on Monday, March 18, with a two-week grace period where owners of vehicles spotted breaking the new regulations will receive a warning notice.

The cameras are the third set of bus lane enforcement cameras to be used by Sunderland City Council. They follow the introduction of cameras at Dene Street in Silksworth and Brancepeth Road in Washington in July of 2023.

Since they went live, 1,934 warnings and Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) have been issued from the camera at Silksworth and 1,496 warnings and fines have been issued from the camera in Washington.

They were the first bus lane enforcement cameras to be used by the council under national legislation.

Buses now have been given priority along Holmeside through to Vine Place which it adjoins, with a new gyratory turning traffic from Holmeside on to Maritime Street.

There is now a new road link through the site of the former Peacock’s store on to Brougham Street, next to The Bridges shopping centre.

Maritime Street, Brougham Street and Waterloo Place are now one-way, creating clockwise gyratory system, returning traffic to Holmeside in an easterly direction.

Councils across the country have been adopting bus lane enforcement powers to issue fines / PCNs to vehicles that break traffic restrictions, such as driving in bus lanes and through bus gate restrictions.

Footage from the cameras is reviewed by Sunderland City Council and contraventions can lead to a fine of £70.

The £70 fine can be discounted to £35 if paid within 21 days. Alternatively the driver may appeal against it.

Income generated by traffic enforcement fines from cameras can only be used for further works on highways, public transport and environmental projects.

As with parking restrictions, if a driver disagrees with the penalty an appeals process is in place. Full details are on notices issued to vehicle owners.

The new enforcement does not cover speeding offences. These are dealt with by Northumbria Police and the Northumbria Safer Roads Initiative (NSRI).