MORE bus lane cameras are being introduced in York, a senior councillor has confirmed, and he hinted some city centre streets could soon see major changes.

Cllr Ian Gillies, executive member for transport and planning, yesterday approved automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) for bus lanes in Foss Islands retail park and at the Shipton Road entrance to Rawcliffe Bar park and ride.

In his public decision session Cllr Gillies also said he would be happy to see a bus gate and ANPR camera installed on Stonebow - where a rising bollard used to operate - to cut down the amount of traffic using the road.

With changes coming on Fossgate this weekend Cllr Gillies said traffic bosses were “slowly working our way to where we want to be for that area”.

The comments were welcomed by bus campaigners at the meeting, including Dave Merrett who was representing the York Bus Forum.

Mr Merrett had told Cllr Gillies the bus forum broadly welcomed the other two ANPR plans, which he said would help bus users with better journey times, and make bus travel more attractive in York.

However Green party councillor Lars Kramm raised questions about an already approved ANPR trial at Low Poppleton Lane, where a rising bollard has broken beyond repair, as the cameras need a flow of drivers breaking the rules who can then be fined to be self-financing. Low Poppleton Lane has no “accidental” users and the bus lane is mainly used by the same people using it as a shortcut every morning and evening, the meeting heard.

At the same meeting, changes were approved for the Lendal Arch gyratory - where Rougier Street meets Station Road and Station Rise.

Most of the changes - like widening footpaths and changing traffic lights - were approved, but Cllr Gillies asked transport staff to talk to cycling groups before making a final decision on whether to remove a cycle lane.

Cycle campaigner Paul Hepworth said getting rid of the lane seemed to be “driven by a desire to reduce the risk liability for City of York Council, in respect of potential collisions".

There were plans to remove a narrow eastbound cycle lane on Station Road, which has seen several accidents.

Mr Hepworth said without the lane it would be harder for cyclists to get into a “dominant position” if they needed to travel straight on at the junction.

Instead, he said, the short left-hand filter lane for cars heading into Leeman Road could be removed, or new markings could go onto the road to remind drivers of cyclists’ movements.