Bus lane blitz will see $150 fines

By BERNARD ORSMAN

Motorists caught driving in Auckland City's green bus lanes at peak hours will be fined $150 in a blitz starting on March 3.

Twelve parking officers will be stationed on roadsides, backed with video cameras, to fine drivers travelling more than 50m in a bus lane.

The parking officers have been trained by the police, who have been in charge of issuing fines for moving traffic violations in the city until now.

A council survey of some of the 15km of bus lanes in the city showed that up to half the peak-hour vehicles on some of them were cars. Motorists caught from 7am to 9am and 4pm to 6pm will receive a $150 fine by post and will have up to 28 days to pay.

A similar blitz by the North Shore City Council on Onewa Rd has seen the number of cars using the transit lane drop from 600 to as few as 10 each morning.