A TRIBUNAL service hopes it can finally issue a vital decision on York’s controversial Lendal Bridge and Coppergate traffic restrictions shortly.

City of York Council appealed more than 11 months ago against a Traffic Penalty Tribunal ruling that it had no power to issue fines to motorists using the two routes during the day.

The bombshell ruling led to the authority ending its ban on cars crossing the bridge, and it also decided later to refund thousands of motorists who had been fined.

Another £387,000 paid in fines by motorists caught on camera using Coppergate has been set aside by the council in case it has to issue refunds to them.

A tribunal spokesman said in January that the adjudicator dealing with the case had suffered a bereavement resulting in a delay but a decision on the appeal has been drafted and just needs final checks with a decision likely in a couple of weeks.

But he said yesterday that a review of the case by the tribunal’s chief adjudicator was still on-going.

“There are a number of complex legal issues and it has taken longer than anticipated to finalise the decision,” he said. “We hope to issue a decision to both parties shortly.”

The spokesman said last May that if the adjudicator upheld the original decision, the council would have to accept the ruling unless it decided to apply to the High Court for a judicial review.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that not a single driver was fined for breaking the rules in Coppergate in the three years before the ANPR cameras were installed in 2013.

Police said no fixed penalty notices were given out between July 2010 and July 2013.

A force spokesman said: “The restrictions are simply unsuitable to police effectively, which has been recognised for a long time by City of York Council.

“We will continue to support the council in coming up with a physical solution to the traffic management issue.”

He added that police usually advise drivers rather than fine them.