Cameras to catch drivers who use bus lanes illegally are to be introduced across London.

The £10million project includes an operation centre and 360 cameras which will cover the whole of London by 2003.

Barnet borough will be one of the first to benefit as cameras will be in place by the Millennium.

Some cameras will be built into buses travelling on the routes, while others will be installed at the roadside next to bus lanes.

Government backing for the expansion has been given after trials in North London, where there are 30 already in operation.

Motorists caught illegally driving or stopping in the lanes are liable for a maximum fine of £1,000. Every year passengers lose 55million hours through delays and the cost to bus operators and passengers in rush hour is up to £22 per minute.

Traffic director for London Derek Turner said: "Clearing bus lanes by selfish drivers is vital to the Government's plans to make the bus king of the road.

"Our hi-tech scheme offers a carrot and stick approach. The 'carrot' of better bus journeys through unblocked lanes is reinforced by the 'stick' of effective camera enforcement leading to fines and prosecutions for drivers who break the bus lane rules."

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