Bad drivers could soon find their number plates being used to track down their addresses so that council officials can send out fines to those drivers who flout the rules of the road.

Leicester City Council could be one of the first councils outside of London to use this type system, but they have to vote on it first. Should this go ahead then the Council then this ANPR camera system could be installed in many of the city’s traffic hotspots.

Councillor Patrick Kitterick, city spokesperson for regeneration and transport, said: “People driving down bus lanes causes buses to slow down and cars in pedestrian zones are dangerous.”

“The city council has responsibility for parking offences, but not ‘moving offences’, which are looked after by the police.

“Applying to the Department for Transport to transfer these powers frees up police resources.”

The system will manned by operators who will be watching for drivers who are driving the wrong way down roads, using the bus lane and just generally being a nuisance.

Terry Kirby, Leicestershire representative for the Campaign for Better Transport, said, “He was in favour of the plan, as long as it resulted in the city getting tougher on motorists who broke the rules.”

He said: “Traffic enforcement on the bus lanes in this city is a joke.

“The police turn up in force once every month, then the rest of the time it’s complete and utter chaos in places such as Charles Street and Causeway Lane.”

The council will have to apply to government to take the required powers from the police in order for them to issue tickets to drivers who use the bus lanes and pedestrian zones.

Source [This is Leicestershire]