People who drive along the bus lanes on Hewletts Road risk a $150 fine.
Bus lanes are only for buses and people riding bikes, motorbikes and mopeds. People driving other vehicles are allowed to use the bus lanes for no more than 50 metres before turning at an intersection or into a driveway or when merging back into the main traffic lane after exiting from a driveway.
On behalf of the NZ Transport Agency, Tauranga City Council has recently been issuing warning notices to owners of vehicles, with 240 warnings issued since 30 April 2018. From this week infringement notices will be issued to people who don’t comply with the bus lane rules.
The bus lanes on Hewletts Road are enforceable under Land Transport legislation 24 hours a day, seven days a week and the monitoring is done using CCTV cameras.
The Council and the Transport Agency are investigating opportunities for new bus lanes in other parts of the city to help make bus travel more reliable and convenient.
People are encouraged to consider other options such as public transport, walking, cycling or carpooling, especially when travelling in peak times.