AROUND £200,000 of grant funding has been spent on installing money-making bus lane enforcement cameras in Warrington.

Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras have been put in place at six locations in the town.

The fines handed out to motorists illegally driving in them are generating income for the council.

Owners of vehicles who use the bus lanes unlawfully face a penalty charge notice of £60, or £30 if paid within 14 days.

The enforcement measures are in place on Wilderspool Causeway, Knutsford Road, lower Bridge Street, Legh Street, Winwick Street bus gate at the Tesco junction and the bus gate between Birchwood Way and Ordnance Avenue.

The enforcement is in place 24/7 at lower Bridge Street, Legh Street, Winwick Street and Ordnance Avenue.

However, on Wilderspool Causeway the bus lane restrictions apply from 7.30am to 9.30am and 4.30pm to 6.30pm, seven days a week.

Furthermore, on Knutsford Road, the restrictions are in place from 7.30am to 9.30am, Monday to Saturday.

The council confirmed work is under way to examine the feasibility of introducing enforcement to all of the other bus lanes in the borough – these include Academy Way, Scotland Road and Winwick Road.

“The timetable is not yet confirmed for these remaining locations,” said a spokesman.

“With the town centre locations, enforcement will not be introduced until the roadworks associated with the Time Square project have been completed.

“Further information will follow in due course confirming timescales.”

Town Hall chiefs also revealed the cost of installing a bus lane ANPR camera is around £25,000 to £30,000, dependent on the camera location and ‘required amendments to signing and lining’.

Although there are six bus lane enforcement sites, there are a total of seven cameras as two are situated at Ordnance Avenue.

The council says it brings the cost to install the cameras to around £200,000.

The spokesman added: “Ordnance Avenue was completely funded as part of Warrington East phase one and the other five sites were funded from our local transport plan capital block – this is a mixture of local growth fund monies and local transport plan grant funding the council receives for transport schemes from the Department for Transport.”

Cameras have recently been removed from Gainsborough Road, although they were not linked to bus lane enforcement.

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The cameras were collecting traffic data in relation to the Centre Park link scheme, which is due to be completed in late 2020.