From early summer 2007 CCTV cameras will be installed, which will record the registration number of any vehicle driving, parking or stopping in the bus lanes and tram gates. This means that if you are caught on camera during hours of operation, you will receive a penalty charge notice and a fine of up to £60.

Every year millions of journeys are made by people travelling throughout Sheffield on public transport. Sheffield City Council and its partners want to improve public transport by making it more reliable and punctual. One way to achieve this is by bus and tram gate enforcement. 
 
Bus and tram gates separate trams, buses and authorised vehicles such as taxis, emergency services and bikes from other vehicles, giving priority to public transport.  Bus and tram ‘gates’ allow buses, trams and authorised vehicles to use lengths of road that other traffic cannot.
 
These features, when properly enforced, improve journey times and reliability and make public transport a more attractive travel option both for existing and would-be public transport users.   They are needed because fewer people on public transport would mean more cars on the road and more congestion.

Supertram reliability is generally very good, but we do suffer at peak times, particularly in the winter months when road traffic increases. These measures should bring back the relliability that we gave in the early days of operation when fewer drivers ignored the tram and bus gate restrictions.

Benefits to people in Sheffield
 
Camera enforcement of bus lanes and tram gates in Sheffield will be introduced in stages with Hillsborough bus and tram gates the first location. 
 
There are a number of benefits from effective tram and bus gate enforcement:
 
Improved tram and bus punctuality, increased road safety and more use of bus lanes by cyclists
 
More consistent journey times for public transport through congested areas
 
These measures will encourage existing public transport users to stick with the tram or bus and give incentives for others to switch to more environmentally friendly forms of travel and thereby reduce CO2 emissions.