Crackdown on town centre drivers

Dozens of motorists cutting through Stafford town centre have been handed hefty fines by police in a bid to stop drivers ignoring new rules.

Around 40 drivers were handed £30 fines by police in the latest attempt to hammer home the message that the town centre is off-limits to cars. Drivers have been regularly flouting new rules which came into force across the town centre last December. The move was taken to restrict parts of the town to buses, taxis and access vehicles only.

The changes applied to Bridge Street, Mill Bank, Mill Street, and Tenterbanks after the revamp of Bridge Street.

No traffic, apart from buses and taxis, is allowed into the town centre along Tenterbanks or Mill Bank unless it is delivering or accessing local businesses and flats.

And all traffic except buses and taxis is excluded from Bridge Street between 9pm and 4am. But despite signs warning drivers of the changes many have continued ignoring them or don't understand them.

On Saturday police officers issued as many as 40 fines to drivers attempting to cut through the town past the Nationwide Building Society and up South Walls.

Police have said the enforcement will continue randomly until drivers learn not to ignore the new rules. Repeat offenders who are caught more than once could even face a court appearance.

Sergeant Nick Maingay, town centre officer with Stafford Neighbourhood Policing Unit said drivers had been given months to get used to the new system.

He said: "We spent about eight weeks after the new rules came into effect stopping drivers and warning them, but we found that had little effect, so we met with Highways and agreed a period of enforcement which we are going through at the moment."

He added: "Officers will continue to enforce the restrictions with fixed penalty fines but repeat offenders could find themselves reported to appear at court."

Cabinet member for highways at Staffordshire County Council, councillor Mike Mary-on said: "One of the main aims of the Bridge Street scheme was to reduce traffic in the town centre and therefore enhance the area for shoppers and those visiting other venues.

"People did have to get used to the new traffic orders and there may be a small minority who are ignoring signs, but the vast majority have welcomed the scheme."

He added: "As a new scheme, we will continually monitor how the innovative shared space approach is working. Later this year an independent road safety audit will be undertaken to consider and report on the safety implications of the completed scheme."