CAMERAS will be used on two of Hull's busiest roads to enforce a crackdown on motorists using bus lanes illegally.
Hull City Council will install three automatic number plate recognition cameras in Anlaby Road and Beverley Road.
Drivers caught in the bus lanes during the hours they are in operation face the threat of a £60 fine.
A trial of the technology will begin at the end of the month, after the next bank holiday, in order to better establish the scale of bus lane infringement.
Depending on the results, the cameras could become a permanent fixture in both roads – and at other hotspots across the city.
Councillor Martin Mancey, cabinet member for transport, said: "The trial will be carried out over a period of several months. Bus companies are telling us they are keen to see bus lanes enforced.
"Unauthorised vehicles using the bus lanes at peak times is causing them a problem."
Two of the cameras will be fitted in Anlaby Road, near the flyover heading out of the city and in the opposite direction, near Hull Royal Infirmary.
The Beverley Road camera will be installed near Inglemire Lane, heading into the city centre.
Mr Mancey said he expects a "mixed" reaction from motorists.
He said: "There is a clear need to investigate proper enforcement of bus lanes.
"The police do not enforce them. They do not have the resources.
"I have no doubt law-abiding motorists resent those who zoom past them in bus lanes during the hours they are in operation.
"Others will see anything to control traffic or improve safety as another attack on their freedom."
It is not yet clear if motorists caught flouting the rules will be fined during the camera's trial period.
Peter Shipp, chairman and chief executive of bus company EYMS, has long campaigned for measures to keep bus lanes clear.
He said: "I am pleased we are getting a trial, but I would like to be clear about three points.
"Firstly, we at EYMS have no wish to see motorists fined. We simply want bus lanes kept clear.
"Secondly, several other towns and cities have bus lane enforcement. Indeed, Hull seemed to be the exception.
"Thirdly, we would welcome anything that helps us cut delays and so run more efficiently."
Mr Shipp said, in the interest of fairness, the council should improve signs, so drivers are left in no doubt as to when the bus lanes are in operation.
The cameras are being provided to the council free of charge for the duration of the trial.
