BY CLAIRE SENEVIRATNA

A scheme to crackdown on drivers who use bus lanes has been a 'rip roaring success in Ealing', according to a transport lobby for London.

The first £40 fines for drivers caught on camera were delivered last week, and if they are not paid within a fortnight the penalty is doubled.

Roadside cameras were installed last autumn along Uxbridge Road, Ealing Broadway, West Ealing, Southall, Greenford, Acton and in Hanger Lane to photograph drivers who threaten to disrupt the bus timetable for the sake of a shortcut.

Between December and February, 2,000 people were caught on camera and sent warning letters. A spokesman for the Transport Committee for London said: 'The reason for the scheme's success is that for the first time we are able to use these cameras for law enforcement purposes, whereas before they were just used to record traffic jams and accidents.'

Mobility has been increased with fewer delays due to bus lane blockages. Signs warning road users that the cameras are in operation can be found on the back of buses.

The latest hi-tech lenses are able to capture licence plates with unprecedented clarity and all footage is transmitted to an office in Ealing town hall.

Ealing has a strong history of bus priority measures and was one of five London boroughs to sign up for the scheme to ensure that money spent by the council and London Transport is not wasted by selfish drivers.

Parking in bus lanes is another problem targeted by the cameras. One car parked in a red lane can render the entire bus priority system useless.

The cost of the project is shared between London Transport and the local authority.