Five people were arrested and 188 drivers given fixed penalty tickets during a two-day police operation to stop the illegal use of bus lanes.
A team of four PCSOs sponsored by bus company Newport Transport launched Operation Freeflow last month to deal with an increasing number of drivers using bus lanes illegally to skip traffic queues. Police are now warning drivers in Newport that similar operations will take place across the city in the future.
Operation Freeflow ran between September 16 and 20. Police officers from Newport Central Neighbourhood Policing Team, as well as those from traffic and response teams, assisted the PCSOs in dealing with vehicles committing a range of driving offences, primarily in the Stow Hill area.
The results of the operation saw 188 drivers given £30 fixed penalty notices for breaching traffic orders. In addition, five cars were seized for having no insurance and four people were given £60 fixed penalty notices for not wearing their seatbelt. One man was arrested for drink driving, two men were arrested for obstructing police, and another two men were arrested for possession of cannabis.
PCSO Chris Burge, who helped coordinate the operation, said:
“Bus drivers have reported that other road users have obstructed them by driving in designated bus lanes, particularly in Stow Hill and Skinner Street. Vehicles can legally use this route into the city centre for the purposes of loading and unloading, but many drivers are illegally using the roads as a shortcut and this is what we are trying to stop. I would to warn motorists in Newport that we are on the lookout for those who are breaking the law in the city centre and we will be running similar initiatives in the coming months.”
Superintendent Julian Knight added:
“Gwent Police in Newport, working in partnership with Newport Transport, is committed to allowing the free flow of public transport. We believe that this will not only assist in the movement of people within the city but also reduce road collisions and resulting injuries. I would urge members of the public to respect the traffic regulations and show consideration to all road users.”
Please visit www.gwent.police.uk to find out what Gwent Police is doing in your area, and how you can help to set local policing priorities.
