Motorists are being warned that a new ‘bus gate’ on Oxford Road will come in to force between Hathersage Road and Booth Street from next Monday.
The bus gate only allows buses, cyclists, and taxis through, while general traffic must find another route.
Signs to warn of the changes have been in place since July, but from Monday 12 September, CCTV goes live with a penalty system then to be put in place over the following 6 weeks.
From Monday 12 September, any trespassing motorists will receive a warning letter.
From Monday 26 September, trespassing motorists will receive a warning letter first time round, and if they use the bus lane more than once, will receive a penalty charge notice (PCN).
From Monday 10 October, all trespassing motorists – other than buses and black cab drivers – will receive a penalty charge if they drive through the bus gate.
Council chiefs hope the bus gates will reduce the journey times of buses and make them more reliable, encouraging more people to use public transport in the city.
The works on Oxford Road are part of a £1 billion package to boost public transport in the city centre by 2017 and create a pedestrian, cyclists and bus-friendly space.
Councillor Rosa Battle, Manchester City Council’s Executive member for Environment, said: “Now the work is finished we can look forward to more reliable public transport on Oxford Road, one of Europe’s busiest bus routes, as well as making the route safer for cyclists and pedestrians.”
A bus gate has been in operation on Portland Street since March.
Manchester City Council say the vast majority of drivers are complying with the signage and using the diversionary routes, allowing buses to move more efficiently through the Piccadilly Gardens.
