It’s no April Fools, from the 1st April 2022 motorists who drive through the bus gate that links Stone Business Park and Walton face automatic fines.
The bus gate that links Stone Business Park and Walton, onto Beacon Rise, has had its automatic bollards out of action for over a year. Despite the road signs and road markings clearly identifying the route as for busses and cyclists only, it’s been used as a way for motorists to nip between the two locations.
Following repeated calls of residents and local councillors, Staffordshire County Council hasn’t fixed the issue and has now taken the step of installing a new Automatic Number Place Recognition (ANPR) camera to manage the bus gate.
Cllr Ian Parry told A Little Bit of Stone:
“The bus gate links Stone Business Park with Walton and allows bus services to move more easily and quickly between locations when picking up and dropping off passengers.
“The new ANPR camera will allow buses, cyclists and emergency vehicles to use the bus gate, however, any vehicles not permitted to pass through will be issued with an automatic fine. The previous rising bollards did require significant maintenance and additional costs. The new system will provide better value for money for the council and local taxpayers.
“The camera will be in operation from Friday 1 April and signs will be installed to advise people of the changes.”
