by Rupert Janisch

Motorists who park in Bristol bus lanes could be fined using CCTV footage in a crackdown aimed at stopping traffic congestion.

Bristol City Council plans to use its own network of more than 100 cameras to read number plates and send through fixed penalty notices by post.

Traffic wardens will not be needed to issue tickets and the culprits will be picked up by transport officers working at the city council's Urban Traffic Control (UTC) centre in Wilder Street, St Paul's.

City bus operator First will also be able to use cameras mounted at the front of their buses to identify offenders parking in bus lanes.

The fine is likely to be the standard £60 charge, reduced to £30 if paid within 28 days.

Emergency services said they welcomed anything which would enable them to get through the city more quickly.

The measures, which are already in use in London, are to be introduced in Bristol in a bid to stop traffic jams on a highly-sensitive city centre road network.

Under the Traffic Management Act 2004, councils are able to apply to the Government's Department for Transport (DfT) to use the enforcement powers for bus lanes.

The city council still needs to prove to the DfT that any information gathered will be safely and securely protected data.

But subject to Government approval, the plan is to go ahead with the measures on April 1, 2009.

Mark Bradshaw, the city council's executive member for transport, said: "We want to use our full range of enforcement powers to make sure traffic travels around the city centre as smoothly as possible.

"The city council is investing millions of pounds in improving public transport on key arterial corridors into the middle of Bristol.

"We have spent money on Showcase bus routes and plan to spend more over the next few years but all our work is undone if people park in the lanes and buses have to pull out to avoid them.

"Drivers who park in bus lanes and on pavements need to realise that they are causing huge problems for our public transport network.

"We have different sources of information, we know where the worst places are and with the new legislation which comes into force soon we will be looking at more active road management."

Suzannah Marsh, spokeswoman for First, said: "We are already working with the police and council on the issue of inconsiderate parking in bus lanes, which can severely affect the punctuality of bus services for our customers.

"A significant proportion of our buses have CCTV cameras and we would be happy to continue to work with the council in tackling this issue."

Leeway will be given to, for example, vans delivering goods outside peak rush hour times and tickets will be only issued to people parking "indiscriminately".

John Laite, manager of the UTC room, said: "Where there's legitimate usage of the bus lane then we won't be picking up on it.

"It's peak periods which we are really looking at, to ensure that bus routes run smoothly.

"We will ensuring that the laws for each route are well signed and publicised, that the road markings are correct and that the public are fully aware of the measures that we are taking."