Thousands of motorists have been slapped with fines following the introduction of a new ‘bus gate’ in Sunderland city centre.

Sunderland City Council introduced the enforcement cameras at a new ‘bus only’ section of Holmeside which went live on April 1, 2024, following a two-week grace period.

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

There is also a new road link through the site of the former Peacock’s store onto Brougham Street, next to The Bridges, which turns traffic onto Waterloo Place and back onto Holmeside in an easterly direction.

The cameras are the latest ‘bus lane enforcement’ cameras to be used by Sunderland City Council under national legislation, with the council able to issue penalty charge notices (PCNs) to vehicles breaking traffic restrictions.

Footage collected from the ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) cameras is reviewed by officers to determine whether any contravention has occurred and drivers may be issued with a £70 PCN.

However, this fine can be discounted to £35 if paid within 21 days, or challenged via an appeal process.

During a two-week grace period from Monday, March 18, 2024, the council issued warning notices instead of fines and 2,230 warnings were given out.

Between Monday, April 1, 2024, and Sunday, September 29, 2024, Sunderland City Council confirmed the total number of PCNs issued over the first six months of the bus gate.

This included 5,072 ‘regulation 10’ PCNs generating around £102,092.55 for the local authority, with this income being ring-fenced for highways, transport and environmental projects.

Of the 5,072 PCNs, the council confirmed it had received appeals in 686 cases, although the outcomes are currently unknown.

The traffic changes at Holmeside were previously proposed by city leaders as part of plans to improve public transport infrastructure and to “increase accessibility and safety”, along with public realm improvements around the city’s redeveloped central rail station.

In the early stages of the plans in 2022, proposals for a traffic regulation order sparked concerns from some businesses around the proposed gyratory and bus gate potentially “isolating” local businesses and impacting trade.

At a debate where planning permission was agreed for the road linking Brougham Street and Maritime Terrace, concerns were also raised about the new traffic system turning Blandford Street into an “island”.

The bus gate at Holmeside is linked to this wider gyratory scheme and gives priority to buses travelling along Holmeside through to Vine Place.

Access restrictions cover the section of Holmeside adjacent to TK Maxx up to the Hays Travel building at Vine Place.

The bus gate has signage warning that traffic enforcement cameras are in use and indicates that only buses, cycles and taxis are permitted to use the one-way route, while the other end of the bus gate area has ‘no entry’ signs.

According to the council’s website, the enforcement cameras do not cover speeding offences.

A statement from Sunderland City Council stressed income from penalty charge notices can only be used for works on “highways, public transport and environmental projects”.

Get more content including the stories that matter to your community from The Northern Echo with a £1 trial subscription for four weeks here.

Most read:

The council statement said: “The bus gate cameras at Holmeside were put in place to improve road safety, improve bus journey times, and help to ensure that more road users follow the rules and regulations that are necessary when out on our roads and highways.

“Using public transport like buses is a more sustainable way to get around, and by helping to improve punctuality and journey times, we help make buses a more attractive choice for residents and visitors, and we contribute to lowering carbon emissions.

“Any income generated by bus lane PCNs from cameras can only be used for further works on highways, public transport and environmental projects.”