MOTORISTS have been reminded that traffic restrictions will be reinstated in York from next week.

From Monday, only buses and permit holders - including taxis and private hire vehicles - will be allowed to drive in Coppergate between 8am and 6pm, while between 10am and 4pm the area will only be open for loading and unloading.

Signs have been in place for several weeks advising passers by of the enforcement changes, and City of York Council said there would be a two-week grace period where drivers who wrongly use the street will be sent a warning letter.

In the first six months, all drivers misusing the street will be issued with a warning letter for their first offence, but penalty charge notices (PCNs), will be issued for second offences or any offence after the first six months.

Cllr Ian Gillies, executive member for transport and planning, said Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), cameras would be active throughout the restriction period.

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He said: “Traffic restrictions have been in place on Coppergate since the 1960s, but only enforced infrequently.

“The reintroduction of the restriction along with a substantial amount of clearer and more robust signage will hopefully help to reduce the number of people wrongly entering the street and help traffic to flow better in the area.

"This will hopefully in turn help the city’s bus services to run more efficiently.”

Thousands of motorists were entitled to refunds of fines worth hundreds of thousands of pounds last year for using Coppergate during a previous enforcement period, after the Government’s traffic adjudicator said the council did not have authority to apply the fines.

The council said the rethought traffic restriction order (TRO) is fully compliant with the latest Government rules.

For more information about the restrictions, signage and ANPR enforcement go to york.gov.uk/coppergate