DRIVERS who flout traffic laws on a key city centre street could find themselves out of pocket after bus bosses asked the police to intervene.

Chiefs at First have teamed up with York Police to enforce restrictions on Coppergate - which is bus and taxi only during the day.

The company, based at James Street, says its services are delayed, sometimes by up to ten minutes at peak times, by cars which use the road - which runs from Stonebow through to Clifford Street - when they should not.

Now, after revealing their concerns to patrol bosses at York Police, ad hoc patrols are being sent to the area to enforce the regulations.

Those caught driving their vehicles on the street, during the restricted times, which are between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Saturday, are likely to find themselves issued with a £30 fixed penalty notice.

Peter Edwards, commercial director at First, said the company had been concerned about the situation for some time, before it decided it had to take action.

"For a while we have been concerned about the amount of traffic in the city centre that should not be there," he said.

"We contacted the police and they are sending out officers for an hour at a time at different times of the day to the area.

"They are issuing tickets and people should not be using this part of the street as a rat run.

"It (the restrictions) has the proper power of a traffic order.

"We need measures like this if we are going to operate a reliable city centre service. During the afternoon peak time, it can take some ten minutes to get through Coppergate and that's a result of vehicles that should not be travelling on that part of the road.

"So we are pleased with this measure and are delighted that the police are supporting it. We are anxious to see that motorists get the message."

Updated: 09:15 Monday, May 30, 2005