Cambridgeshire County Council is asking Huntingdonshire residents to share their views on a proposed application for the local authority to enforce bus lane and bus gate restrictions.

As it stands, only Cambridgeshire Police can enforce bus lane and bus gate restrictions in Huntingdonshire, which result in fines or endorsement points.

However, as part of the proposed changes, Cambridgeshire County Council will be applying to the Department for Transport to have the enforcement responsibilities transferred to the local authority.

If Cambridgeshire County Council's application were successful, it would mean that the local authority would be in charge of enforcing bus lane and bus gate regulations in Huntingdonshire and South Cambridgeshire.

This is in tow would mean that offences would be treated as a civil matter, and a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) would be issued.

It would give Cambridgeshire County Council the ability to, where required, use Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology to identify drivers who breach regulations.

If Cambridgeshire County Council's application is successful, it is expected that the council would start the enforcement in Huntingdonshire and South Cambridgeshire in winter 2024.

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Cambridgeshire County Council is now asking Huntingdonshire residents to have their say on these proposed changes by completing an online survey on the council website.

The engagement survey opened on January 29 and will close on March 11, 2024.

The findings will help inform decisions made by Cambridgeshire County Council.

The bus lanes and bus gates that would come under Cambridgeshire County Council's control in Huntingdonshire are:

Bus Only Street - Godmanchester

Bus Gate - Houghton

Bus Lane George Street - Huntingdon

Councillor Alex Beckett, chair of Highways and Transport Committee at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: "This is not about penalising car drivers and raising revenue.

"It's about protecting bus lanes and improving traffic flow, which we know is a priority for Cambridgeshire's residents."