More than 1,000 drivers have been sent warning notices after contravening a city centre traffic restriction.
A Labour council has slapped thousands of drivers with enforcement warnings for breaking new air quality rules. More than 1,000 drivers have been sent warning notices after contravening a city centre traffic restriction.
Southampton City Council said no Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) had yet been issued to drivers for driving through the restricted area for a second time. The city’s cabinet member for transport, councillor Eamonn Keogh, said there had been “improvements” to congestion and pedestrian footfall in the area since the trial began.
A bus, taxi and cycle-only trial began on 25 January on a section of Portswood Road in Southampton to improve air quality. Speaking to BBC Radio Solent, councillor Eamonn Keogh said the trial was having a positive effect.
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“Bus journey times during [the restricted hours] are improving, and pedestrian footfall on the High Street has risen compared to… a year ago”, he said. “That’s got to be good for businesses and for people who want to enjoy a safe, accessible and practical district centre.”
As part of the restrictions, the route only allows buses, taxis and bicycles, Monday to Saturday between the hours of 7am and 10am and again between 4pm and 7pm. While warning letters are currently being sent out to rulebreakers, from next week, drivers can be fined £70 although this can be reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days.
Keogh said: “There are a number of goals that we are trying to achieve as part of the Portswood Project trial and a key factor in many of them is ensuring that vehicles travelling from further afield to the city centre use Thomas Lewis Way for their journey.
“We do appreciate that it takes time for people to get used to changes like the ones being trialled in Portswood and so we have allowed two weeks for drivers to adjust to the new restriction without taking any further action.”
Speaking to BBC Radio Solent, Keogh shared: “Bus journey times during [the restricted hours] are improving, and pedestrian footfall on the High Street has risen compared to… a year ago. That’s got to be good for businesses and for people who want to enjoy a safe, accessible and practical district centre.”
The council added: “Our experience with other schemes that introduced a restriction shows that compliance improves with camera enforcement. This change is crucial to ensure the robustness of the trial and to support the goals of improving bus journeys as well as safety on Portswood Road.”
