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ITEM EX9

CAMERA ENFORCEMENT OF BUS LANES IN OXFORD

1. This report details the progress made towards devising a suitable system to enforce Bus Lanes in Oxford City, including the key central area access restriction points. This will be carried out under powers granted in the Transport Act 2000. The Statutory Instrument (SI) authorising acceptable operational procedures will be published shortly. The report recommends procurements and installation of the CCTV camera system for sites in central Oxford.
2. To prepare for the publication of these Statutory Operating Procedures the County appointed consultants MVA at the end of January 2002 to undertake a full study of the issues and to recommend a suitable equipment procurement strategy. Their report has now been completed and its recommendations are discussed in this report. MVA have been retained to make any necessary modifications and supervise the installation work.
3. MVA’s report examines the methods and cost implications of the basic equipment required and also evaluates the likely income and operating costs of the system. Officers are confident, based on this information, that the proposed system would provide an efficient method of enforcement that would also be self-financing. A copy of the final report is available in the Members’ Resource Centre.

Background

4. For some time there has been a demand for better enforcement of the City centre access points. It is difficult for Police to provide full enforcement as their resources are stretched and they are not able to maintain the necessary presence at the key access points. This is why a suitable system is needed to eliminate the illegitimate use of the access points not controlled by rising bollards. Officers have explored various options of self-enforcement measures for the High Street site alone. They have concluded that it would be more cost effective for the Council if a fully planned and comprehensive system, which is certain to meet all legal and technical requirements, is implemented instead.
5. The essential requirements to operate the enforcement under the proposed SI are at least one camera per site with a minimum of two personnel observing live and recorded incidents. This has to be carried out following approved procedures for acquiring images in the control room via the close circuit television (CCTV) link or by manual tape collection.
6. The MVA study recommends an appropriate technical system for the City centre access points that fulfils those requirements. Additionally it offers a base for extension in the future to bus lanes away from the City Centre, and indeed outside Oxford.
7. There are two main options for observing and recording offences: One by static roadside cameras that require a fairly large housing (similar to traffic signals controllers) and are only able to view a fixed section of road. The offence is stored on a tape which must be collected from the camera and watched by a member of staff to observe offences. The other option uses CCTV cameras. CCTV cameras are relatively small and can be fixed on a post or building, they are able to pan and tilt allowing a wider range of vision. The image is relayed by cable to a control unit where the offences are observed live (and taped for Court evidence if necessary). The camera operator is able to control what the camera is recording.
8. Concerns have been raised in the past about the style of the cameras and their possible intrusion in environmentally sensitive areas such as the High Street. Officers therefore recommend the use of the CCTV cameras as they are smaller and more discrete and also offer better enforcement ability due to manoeuvrability. A photograph of the camera styles can be seen at the end of Chapter 4 of the MVA report.
9. The preferred CCTV enforcement option requires fibre optic transmission. Due to higher costs associated with fibre optics, other options such as broadband were considered but rejected as they do not comply with the strict technical and security issues required to accurately record offences.
10. Although there is high pressure for effective enforcement at the High Street Bus Gate, the level of abuse at other restriction points causes considerable delay on the bus priority routes. The study recommends that CCTV cameras should also be installed at George Street, Magdalen Street East, and Castle Street giving an estimated budget range of £150-180k. Subject to approval, £180k has been reserved in the provisional OTS budget in the 2003/04 Transport Capital Programme. Fees on consultancy to cover advice on installation and operating procedure, installation costs, and equipment procurement, will be covered within the proposed budget.
11. To comply with the concept outlined in the Transport Act 2000 and to enable the prosecution of bus lane offences, the existing Oxford Traffic Management Order 1999 that regulates (among other things) access points, will have to be converted at those locations to a Bus Lane Order. Although this is a technical change it needs to be the subject of statutory consultation, which is planned to be initiated soon after publication of the SI. However, this consultation may generate comments or even objections, which could affect the overall timescale of implementation of the scheme.
12. The latest indication from the Department of Transport is that the required SI will be published within the next few weeks

Sites Outside Central Oxford

13. There is some justification for extending camera enforcement to other bus lane sites in Oxford, for example Abingdon Road. These sites are likely to be at a lower cost as they will be in less environmentally sensitive areas and therefore could be fixed roadside cameras. There is also the possibility of fitting cameras on buses which allows more flexibility. The appropriate technical requirements and economic case for these sites have not yet been assessed and would need further investigation. Experience gained through the installation and operation of the proposed four sites will provide valuable information when considering possible expansion of the system in the future. Therefore the installation of the bus lane camera enforcement outside the City centre is not recommended at this stage.

Conclusion

14. It is County Council policy to effectively enforce the restriction points in the central area and the MVA report demonstrates a clear economic case for CCTV enforcement. We will review the effectiveness of the system with a view to expanding it to other sites outside the central area as part of future Transport Capital Programmes.

Financial and Staff Implications

15. The financial implications for the Capital Programme are set out in paragraph 10. The consultants predict that capital costs will be recouped within 3-6 months of the introduction of the system. Allowing for a drop off in offences of 50% within 3 months, with a total drop off over the first 12 months of 75%, revenue collected would still cover the operating costs. It is anticipated that the operation would be run on a similar basis to parking enforcement procedure, which is likely to be through the same contract with Control Plus, that allows for the necessary amendments to enable them to carry out the enforcement.

RECOMMENDATIONS

16. The Executive is RECOMMENDED to approve the procurement and installation of the CCTV cameras for enforcement of bus lanes at the four sites specified in the report subject to:

1. the authorising Statutory Instrument being issued and coming into effect;
2. inclusion of the scheme in the 2003/04 Transport Capital Programme;
3. consideration of any observations or objections resulting from consultation on the individual sites by the Transport Implementation Committee; and
4. conversion of the City of Oxford Traffic Management Order 1999, at the specified sites, to a Bus Lane Order and subject to the consideration of any observations or objections by the Transport Implementation Committee.

EDDIE LUCK
Assistant Director (Transport Development)

Background papers: MVA Report Bus Lane Enforcement Study for Oxford City Centre

Contact Officer: David Clough Tel: Oxford 815743

March 2003

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