Police and council vow to get tough on drivers flouting Coppergate restrictions (From York Press)
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Police and council vow to get tough on drivers flouting Coppergate restrictions
10:50am Friday 7th December 2012 in News
By Mark Stead, mark.stead@thepress.co.uk
TOUGHER measures are to be put in place to cut congestion on one of York’s busiest city-centre roads and make it easier for buses and taxis to travel through the city.
The new controls in Coppergate will see automatic number-plate recognition (ANPR) cameras being installed next year as North Yorkshire Police and City of York Council take on joint responsibility for enforcement action.
Cars will be prevented from using Coppergate between 7am and 7pm, when it will be reserved for buses, taxis and cyclists – it is currently reserved between 8am and 6pm.
Other vehicles will be allowed to use the route for loading and unloading from 10am – an hour later than the current start-time – until 4pm.
Restrictions have been in place on Coppergate since the 1960s, but only enforced infrequently.
The new cameras will operate from April 1 after more than 600 motorists illegally used Coppergate during a day of enforcement action last year.
Coun Dave Merrett, cabinet member for transport, planning and sustainability, said: “By reducing the volume of illicit vehicles during the day and restricting loading and unloading during the peak commuter and congestion hours, we will help buses, taxis and cyclists get through this extremely narrow road more easily.
“This will improve public transport journey times and reliability and address frequently-raised concerns about the punctuality of buses in the mornings.”
Frank Wood, chairman of the York Retail Forum, said: “This is a narrow road and an important bus route.
“It is also important to keep pedestrian areas clear and safe, to allow freedom of access for visitors.
“There are already regulations in force to restrict traffic and the method of enforcing these regulations needs to be effective and sustainable and I am happy to support the move towards ANPR cameras.”
Inspector Mark Henderson, of North Yorkshire Police, said “numerous” enforcement operations in Coppergate and issuing hundreds of fines had made “no noticeable difference”, making the new measures necessary.
John Carr, chairman of York’s Quality Bus Partnership, said they would “help achieve the more reliable cross-city services everybody wants to see”.
A two-week grace period will be in place from Monday, March 18.
Comments(55)
pedalling paul
says...
11:08am Fri 7 Dec 12
NickPheas
says...
11:12am Fri 7 Dec 12
Perhaps what's really needed are some bobbies in the vicinity of the beat, rather than just going to another easily dodged technical fix.
Kevin Turvey
says...
11:26am Fri 7 Dec 12
Even the other day when the waste of space member of the royal family visited york there were two coppers with a road closed sign to isolate the convoy at the Ouse bridge end of coppergate.
I personely saw 4 cars drive along coppergate from the pavement end and the coppers just waved them through and moved the sign out of the way
.
Obviously more interested in doffing their hats to the waste of oxygen in the VIP convoy!
However they were actually witnessing 4 drivers breaking the law and did nothing at all!
So even when police are present in large numbers (as they were everywhere) they do nothing at all.
What are you going to do about that Police commissioner Mulligan?
Nothing, just like your subordinates!
However expect a police rise in your council tax DEMAND.
Kevin Turvey
says...
11:32am Fri 7 Dec 12
Its not the illegal traffic that holds them up, its the vehicles that are allowed to unload that park there that stop the traffic.
Typical pointless council generated costly excercise of an unneeded infrastructure project with a cost of how many hundreds of thousands ?
When that is not the root cause of the so called traffic delay.
A regular police operation could yield thousands of pounds in fines every couple of weeks.
People would get the message eventually.
You cannot educate spam!
Ignatius Lumpopo
says...
11:41am Fri 7 Dec 12
MouseHouse
says...
11:44am Fri 7 Dec 12
xtc
says...
12:14pm Fri 7 Dec 12
typhoon75 wrote:True nothing will happen as usual,will anyone get fined at all.
From April 1st 2013...... Is this just going to be another april fools joke considering how much they have NOT dealt with this street in the past!!!!!!!!!!!
DEKKA
says...
12:25pm Fri 7 Dec 12
Ignatius Lumpopo wrote:Vehicles continually ignore the lights turning red at Micklgate Bar. One, two, sometimes three at a time. Are the council interested?..are they **** :)
ANPR in York - at last! Buy half a dozen and put them at Bootham Bar, Lendal, Micklegate Bar, Acomb Shops, Fishergate and Hopgrove and charge miscreants £30 every time they shoot a red light. Assuming one vehicle goes through on red every eight minutes during the 15 busiest hours of the day, CoYC would make almost £24,000 a week from Bootham Bar alone.
Jackanory2
says...
12:26pm Fri 7 Dec 12
keepitshut
says...
12:31pm Fri 7 Dec 12
bolero
says...
12:52pm Fri 7 Dec 12
big boy york
says...
12:54pm Fri 7 Dec 12
roskoboskovic
says...
12:56pm Fri 7 Dec 12
Buzz Light-year
says...
1:06pm Fri 7 Dec 12
big boy york wrote:Cars in the Gillygate lane setting off when the Bootham lane get green happens multiple times daily.
just witnessed a near miss at bootham /gillygate/ ex sq, arrow comes on at ex sq to go down bootham, odd ball in outside lane decides hes off down gillygate, 2 cars bumper to bumper, police van on bootham ist at lights did he do ought, did he frig too busy on his mobile & we expect them to police coppergate
I see it all the time.
It's a confusing junction. And some people are numpties.
I agree the police should react if they are there when it happens.
MouseHouse
says...
1:08pm Fri 7 Dec 12
roskoboskovic wrote:seconded.
if i had a pound for every time that this has been mentioned in the press i would have a tidy sum.why is it not policed properly.they don t have any qualms about prosecuting other motoring offences but this is just a long running farce.
York1900
says...
2:01pm Fri 7 Dec 12
Ignatius Lumpopo wrote:You forgot Lord Mayor’s walk and Gillygate junction
ANPR in York - at last! Buy half a dozen and put them at Bootham Bar, Lendal, Micklegate Bar, Acomb Shops, Fishergate and Hopgrove and charge miscreants £30 every time they shoot a red light. Assuming one vehicle goes through on red every eight minutes during the 15 busiest hours of the day, CoYC would make almost £24,000 a week from Bootham Bar alone.
alfie
says...
2:23pm Fri 7 Dec 12
bricky9999
says...
2:41pm Fri 7 Dec 12
Guy Fawkes
says...
2:47pm Fri 7 Dec 12
Its not the illegal traffic that holds them up, its the vehicles that are allowed to unload that park there that stop the traffic.
And the added restrictions on them will mean that deliveries to businesses inside the anti-motorist jihad zone will become more expensive (lorry drivers, for some reason, want to be paid more for working antisocial hours), those costs will be passed on to customers, and those customers will increasingly desert the city centre for Monks Cross and Clifton Moor.
ANPR in York - at last! Buy half a dozen and put them at Bootham Bar, Lendal, Micklegate Bar, Acomb Shops, Fishergate and Hopgrove and charge miscreants £30 every time they shoot a red light.
OK, just as long as you also reprogram the lights so that they are not deliberately programmed to cause traffic jams, which I'm convinced is the case at the moment, Bootham Bar being a prime example.
sparkseffect
says...
2:49pm Fri 7 Dec 12
Fifth attempt
says...
2:56pm Fri 7 Dec 12
2:alfie says...
2:23pm Fri 7 Dec 12
Cyclists are more of a hazard than cars going through these york streets I have seen numerous people getting run over by bikes, they just walk out in front of them. With cars they can hear them coming and the driver also tends to be more cautious.”
Then surely its the pedestrians fault? Shouldn't you always look before crossing a road. Cyclists are allowed down Coppergate so if a pedestrian decides to cross without looking then its their fault if they get knocked over.
MouseHouse
says...
3:03pm Fri 7 Dec 12
alfie wrote:not always true now. The electric cars are amazingly quiet. Have been overtaken whilst cycling by a few of them.
Cyclists are more of a hazard than cars going through these york streets I have seen numerous people getting run over by bikes, they just walk out in front of them. With cars they can hear them coming and the driver also tends to be more cautious.
The roads are in a poor state with no real sign of improvment, the population is getting older and cars are getting quieter. It's a very different road environment to thirty / forty years ago.
Pete the Brickie
says...
3:15pm Fri 7 Dec 12
The police have traffic officers and PCSO's by the dozen when the races are on to manually control traffic lights and the council are able to do it from their desks via cameras, where were they today?
bob the builder
says...
3:18pm Fri 7 Dec 12
NickPheas wrote:It's the front that the ANPR usually takes for that very reason, plus the tax disc is in the picture with the details on. Of course the flipside will be that you can registration plates online for £14 a pair, like London's congestion charge there will be a spate of farm tractors etc getting tickets when it is commissioned.
Most of the cars one sees breaking the rules seem to have a layer of filth over their back numberplates as is.
Perhaps what's really needed are some bobbies in the vicinity of the beat, rather than just going to another easily dodged technical fix.
bob the builder
says...
3:21pm Fri 7 Dec 12
big boy york wrote:I'm installing a dashboard camera in our vehicles, I'll then be posting any interesting footage like that online, that usually elicits action, there's nothing like embarrassing those in 'control'. It's commonplace abroad for insurance purposes.
just witnessed a near miss at bootham /gillygate/ ex sq, arrow comes on at ex sq to go down bootham, odd ball in outside lane decides hes off down gillygate, 2 cars bumper to bumper, police van on bootham ist at lights did he do ought, did he frig too busy on his mobile & we expect them to police coppergate
York1900
says...
4:28pm Fri 7 Dec 12
http://www.bbc.co.uk
/news/world-asia-206
14593
eeoodares
says...
4:30pm Fri 7 Dec 12
If this forum was truly representative of the people of York we would have no tourists, no businesses and no hope.
Burkett swish pack
says...
4:48pm Fri 7 Dec 12
Guy Fawkes
says...
5:19pm Fri 7 Dec 12
some enforcement of the peak loading ban in Pavement would help
And then the shopkeepers who have to stay late at night or come in to work at the crack of dawn to receive deliveries from the drivers who are on triple overtime rates for working at those times will take one look at their rising overheads and think 'Bugger this - I'm off to Monks Cross, where I can rent a retail unit for half the price and get my deliveries cheaper and at a time that works for me.'
These calls to get tough on motorists are all well and good if you want to drive (in both senses of the word) economic activity out of the city centre and only have residences and open spaces within the city walls.
matroom
says...
6:11pm Fri 7 Dec 12
eeoodares wrote:Love it. Someone talking sense on here for once. Every one on here seems so angry ??!!
I am guessing the vast majority of people moaning about everything are unemployed or retired with nothing else in their sad little lives to worry about. Are these really the issues that burn your soul? Near misses between pedestrians and cyclists? lighten up or grow up! If cars get confused at a junction, cut them some slack, this is a tourist city and mistakes will happen with visitors, should police pounce every time NO. If they did they would do nothing else all day everyday!
If this forum was truly representative of the people of York we would have no tourists, no businesses and no hope.
nearlyman
says...
6:38pm Fri 7 Dec 12
.Council Tax is coming down then !
Jazzper
says...
6:43pm Fri 7 Dec 12
They collided at the junction of Beckfield Lane and Wetherby Road in Acomb at about 6pm.
Police and paramedics are on the scene but police say it is not believed to be very serious.
Hope it's not our Peddling Pal....
Guy Fawkes
says...
10:17pm Fri 7 Dec 12
Magicman!
says...
4:35am Sat 8 Dec 12
Fifth attempt wrote:Indeed... I can go down coppergate several times a week, and every time there is a pedestrian who decides to step out to/from the coppergate centre onto the road without looking. They get a fair old fright when they get a blast from my horn.
alfie says...
2:alfie says...
2:23pm Fri 7 Dec 12
Cyclists are more of a hazard than cars going through these york streets I have seen numerous people getting run over by bikes, they just walk out in front of them. With cars they can hear them coming and the driver also tends to be more cautious.”
Then surely its the pedestrians fault? Shouldn't you always look before crossing a road. Cyclists are allowed down Coppergate so if a pedestrian decides to cross without looking then its their fault if they get knocked over.
As a pedestrian in manchester several years ago I stepped out once in Cross Street, and got honked at by a bus. Gave me a fair old wake up call to look properly before crossing, so hopefully if everybody honks their horns at errant pedestrians who don't look before crossing it'll eventually get the message home.
The ANPR can't come soon enough as far as I'm concerned - I shouldn't have some pugeot or other small car breathing down my neck whilst I'm cycling along there as the pug shouldn't even be there.
As regards road space, perhaps removing the under-used narrow pavement beside the church on Coppergate would give more room for buses.
Dennis.Dart
says...
9:23am Sat 8 Dec 12
its been FREE for all for years 7 cars per min every day, get away with it.
use of a rising bollard that WORKS is the only way untill CyC grow some balls this will never happen
Murphy_the_Spangle
says...
10:24am Sat 8 Dec 12
They should also be installed at Fossgate, Goodramgate, Piccadilly and St Saviourgate!
The cost of installation at all these sites will soon pay for itself!
bob the builder
says...
11:30am Sat 8 Dec 12
eeoodares wrote:We have the wrong kind of tourists (if you can call stag and hen do's that), too many businesses of the wrong sort (numerous bars, pubs and nightclubs) and yes, no hope of anything being done to help the ordinary working residents!
I am guessing the vast majority of people moaning about everything are unemployed or retired with nothing else in their sad little lives to worry about. Are these really the issues that burn your soul? Near misses between pedestrians and cyclists? lighten up or grow up! If cars get confused at a junction, cut them some slack, this is a tourist city and mistakes will happen with visitors, should police pounce every time NO. If they did they would do nothing else all day everyday!
If this forum was truly representative of the people of York we would have no tourists, no businesses and no hope.
johnwill
says...
12:18pm Sat 8 Dec 12
Councillors, say what suits em!
Guy Fawkes
says...
1:39pm Sat 8 Dec 12
You clearly struggle to learn from experience.
And you clearly have a way of predicting when an unlit bicycle is suddenly going to cut across you in the dark (with you here - http://maps.google.c
om/maps?q=Beckfield+
Lane,+York,+United+K
ingdom&hl=en&ll=53.9
56898,-1.135366&spn=
0.001187,0.002937&sl
l=37.0625,-95.677068
&sspn=51.841773,96.2
40234&oq=beckfield+&
hq=Beckfield+Lane,&h
near=York,+United+Ki
ngdom&t=h&z=19&layer
=c&cbll=53.956765,-1
.135385&panoid=4Vcah
YzxFjjkTuaOiG433g&cb
p=12,201.07,,0,18.93 - only no daylight), or when a vehicle is going to appear from the right at high speed, wtihout indicating, and on a roundabout with signs and shrubs in the middle of it (which IMO should be removed) to block your view. Do tell!
yorkborn66
says...
3:20pm Sat 8 Dec 12
The facts are the Police previously say they do not have the recourses to police Coppergate, and the council previously say it is the job of the police they instruct.
My opinion is during restricted times Coppergate should be for Taxis, Private Hire and Buses only, NOT tour buses or coaches. Cyclists should not be allowed on this road, as this road is narrow and slows down other forms of public transport. This little road makes the difference between public transport been on time or very late.
eeoodares
says...
3:41pm Sat 8 Dec 12
bob the builder wrote:You are wrong, we do have 'drink tourists' but if you think they are the main type of visitor to our city I suggest you visit any of the amazing tourist attractions they are not empty neither are they full of alcohol fuelled lunatics. As far as ordinary working resident I assume you like the City, it is the way it is because of tourists and students, remove them from the equation and you are left with what? empty shops, closed restaurants stop moaning and grow up!
eeoodares wrote:We have the wrong kind of tourists (if you can call stag and hen do's that), too many businesses of the wrong sort (numerous bars, pubs and nightclubs) and yes, no hope of anything being done to help the ordinary working residents!
I am guessing the vast majority of people moaning about everything are unemployed or retired with nothing else in their sad little lives to worry about. Are these really the issues that burn your soul? Near misses between pedestrians and cyclists? lighten up or grow up! If cars get confused at a junction, cut them some slack, this is a tourist city and mistakes will happen with visitors, should police pounce every time NO. If they did they would do nothing else all day everyday!
If this forum was truly representative of the people of York we would have no tourists, no businesses and no hope.
Buzz Light-year
says...
5:20pm Sat 8 Dec 12
MrsDingledongle
says...
6:14pm Sat 8 Dec 12
alfie wrote:Alfie the way you have worded this, it is the pedestrians that are the problem, just walking out in front of bikes, not the actual cyclists.
Cyclists are more of a hazard than cars going through these york streets I have seen numerous people getting run over by bikes, they just walk out in front of them. With cars they can hear them coming and the driver also tends to be more cautious.
pedalling paul
says...
7:51pm Sat 8 Dec 12
yorkborn66 wrote:Hands up anyone who knows what cycalists and recources are! Does he mean cyclists & resources? I think so.
This is not the first time this story has been mentioned. For years Coppergate has been restricted to Buses and taxi including private hire as well as cycalists between certain times.
The facts are the Police previously say they do not have the recourses to police Coppergate, and the council previously say it is the job of the police they instruct.
My opinion is during restricted times Coppergate should be for Taxis, Private Hire and Buses only, NOT tour buses or coaches. Cyclists should not be allowed on this road, as this road is narrow and slows down other forms of public transport. This little road makes the difference between public transport been on time or very late.
pedalling paul
says...
7:52pm Sat 8 Dec 12
yorkborn66 wrote:Hands up anyone who knows what cycalists and recources are! Does he mean cyclists & resources? I think so.
This is not the first time this story has been mentioned. For years Coppergate has been restricted to Buses and taxi including private hire as well as cycalists between certain times.
The facts are the Police previously say they do not have the recourses to police Coppergate, and the council previously say it is the job of the police they instruct.
My opinion is during restricted times Coppergate should be for Taxis, Private Hire and Buses only, NOT tour buses or coaches. Cyclists should not be allowed on this road, as this road is narrow and slows down other forms of public transport. This little road makes the difference between public transport been on time or very late.
Sawday2
says...
9:50pm Sat 8 Dec 12
eeoodares
says...
11:18pm Sat 8 Dec 12
You live in one of the greatest places to live in the world and you moan about cyclists....
yorkborn66
says...
12:07am Sun 9 Dec 12
pedalling paul wrote:correct - I have been using a speech writer.(what it says on the box).
yorkborn66 wrote:Hands up anyone who knows what cycalists and recources are! Does he mean cyclists & resources? I think so.
This is not the first time this story has been mentioned. For years Coppergate has been restricted to Buses and taxi including private hire as well as cycalists between certain times.
The facts are the Police previously say they do not have the recourses to police Coppergate, and the council previously say it is the job of the police they instruct.
My opinion is during restricted times Coppergate should be for Taxis, Private Hire and Buses only, NOT tour buses or coaches. Cyclists should not be allowed on this road, as this road is narrow and slows down other forms of public transport. This little road makes the difference between public transport been on time or very late.
Having some teething problems with the program as you can see, but at least you got this gist of what I meant.
matroom
says...
11:51am Sun 9 Dec 12
pedalling paul wrote:Stop being so pedantic, you obviously knew what he meant. Your just making yourself look like a prat !!!!
yorkborn66 wrote:Hands up anyone who knows what cycalists and recources are! Does he mean cyclists & resources? I think so.
This is not the first time this story has been mentioned. For years Coppergate has been restricted to Buses and taxi including private hire as well as cycalists between certain times.
The facts are the Police previously say they do not have the recourses to police Coppergate, and the council previously say it is the job of the police they instruct.
My opinion is during restricted times Coppergate should be for Taxis, Private Hire and Buses only, NOT tour buses or coaches. Cyclists should not be allowed on this road, as this road is narrow and slows down other forms of public transport. This little road makes the difference between public transport been on time or very late.
goatman
says...
7:02pm Sun 9 Dec 12
Thunderblade
says...
11:50pm Sun 9 Dec 12
stevey54
says...
3:50pm Tue 11 Dec 12
Dennis.Dart
says...
6:45am Thu 13 Dec 12
Dennis.Dart
says...
6:45am Thu 13 Dec 12
typhoon75 says...
10:53am Fri 7 Dec 12