Driving on Long Causeway among offences to be clamped down on in Peterborough as council seeks new powers

Vehicles driving along Long Causeway is one of a number of traffic offences Peterborough City Council is to clamp down on as it seeks new powers from the Department for Transport.

The council is looking to apply for new powers under Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act (2004); which allows local authorities to penalise driving offences that previously could only be enforced by the police.

Now that the scheme is available outside of London, the council is looking to apply for the additional powers and is holding a public consultation until December 23.

Enforcement action would be taken using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras and fines would be sent by post to road users.

Guidance dictates, however, that there must be a six-month warning notice period for first offenders in all new enforcement locations but then there will be the ability to issue Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) to offenders with a £70 fine reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days.

Initially the council would enforce the following offences: - Entrance into Long Causeway from Westgate (Pedestrian zone)- Entrance into Westgate from Broadway / Midgate (Pedestrian and cycle zone)- Church Street / Cowgate Junction (No entry)- Queens Drive West (Safer school street)- Apollo Avenue / Peterborough Road - Stanground (Entering bus lane)- Bellona Drive / Whittlesey Road - Stanground (Entering bus lane)

Further down the line the new powers could give the council the ability to fine offenders for: incorrectly driving into a bus lane or through a bus gate, driving in a pedestrian zone, ignoring a no-entry sign, stopping in a yellow box junction, performing a banned right or left turn, performing an illegal U-turn and going the wrong way in a one-way street.

Councillor Marco Cereste, cabinet member for climate change, planning, housing and transport at Peterborough City Council, said “Improving road safety is a huge priority for the city council and adopting this legislation will give us the powers to further improve standards at key points across the city.

“These new enforcement powers would have a significant impact on the council’s ability to help reduce congestion, improve air quality and road safety, and encourage sustainable travel.”