CAMERAS to catch drivers breaking road rules are now live, the council has confirmed.

As previously reported, Hampshire County Council (HCC) said it would install automatic numberplate recognition (ANPR) cameras at two locations in Basingstoke where driving restrictions are “frequently ignored”.

The Basingstoke locations in Alencon Link and Norn Hill are two of nine across Hampshire which have now been installed and are operational.

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Alencon LinkAlencon Link (Image: Newsquest) However, the council said that ‘further work’ is required to one of the cameras at Alencon Link, which is expected to be carried out by SSE at the start of September.

The enforcement cameras at the nine sites across Hampshire aim to improve road safety, reduce congestion and support bus journey reliability.

The cameras in Alencon Link, outside Basingstoke railway station, are meant to stop drivers using the bus gate which is a pedestrian zone except for buses and taxis.

Basingstoke taxi driver Gautam Gurung previously told the Gazette that many cars flout the rules in Alencon Link by either driving through the restricted area or parking on double yellow lines.

The 42-year-old said: “There are double yellow lines and there are always people parking there. It makes it harder for us. Sometimes we have to wait because people drive where they shouldn’t be every day.”

The council asked for views on the proposed locations and held a consultation between February 14 and March 27, 2022 before it was granted civil enforcement powers in July the same year.

Cameras have also been installed at the other locations including in Winchester, Eastleigh, Farnborough, Fareham and Romsey.

Drivers who breach the restrictions will receive a penalty charge notice of £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days.

Cllr Nick Adams-King, the county council’s cabinet lead for universal services including highways, previously said the new enforcement measures are being installed at locations where restrictions are “frequently ignored”.

He added: “The aim is to make these locations safer for all road users and to reduce congestion, with an exception that driver compliance will improve over time.”

This was made possible after the government granted new powers, previously held only by the police, to enable local authorities to undertake civil enforcement of traffic restrictions with a fine.