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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Ben Summer & Hannah Kane

Drivers in UK city warned they could be fined for driving down road at wrong time

One road in a UK city is becoming one of the first of its kind to ban drivers at peak times in a bid to cut down shortcut traffic.

The 'permit gate' will be in force from 7am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday on a very short section of the road.

If caught driving along the road without a digital permit, drivers face a £70 fine. The fine is £35 if paid within 21 days, and only warning notices will be issued for the first 14 days of the scheme, Wales Online reports.

However, there are a few exemptions to the scheme, in place in Cardiff. You'll be able to get a free permit to access the road during the restricted times if you're a resident, business, place or worship or community premises such as a social club in the area.

A map of the restricted area (Cardiff Council)
The new permit gate will be trialled for 18 months (Cardiff Council)

It's aim is to restrict traffic travelling along Crystal Glen in Llanishen from Ty-Glas Avenue and Heathwood Road, north of Roath Park Lake, with CCTV in place to catch drivers breaking the rules.

You can apply for a permit if your property is on Crystal Glen, Fishguard Road, Ty-Glas Avenue service road (numbers 1 to 63), any road that can only be accessed from these roads, or on Heathwood Road (numbers 211, 213, 215, and 217).

Residents can get an unlimited number of permits if they own or keep the vehicle at their address. Businesses, places of worship and community premises can apply for "a limited number of permits on a first-come, first-serve basis". You can find out more about permits here.

Drivers without a permit can access the area but not pass all the way through - instead, you'll need to exit the way you came. This includes delivery drivers, carers, social groups and churchgoers.

Some vehicles are completely exempted and never need a permit. This includes local buses, taxis and car club vehicles. Outside of the operational hours, nobody needs a permit.

The restriction comes into force on Monday, June 19 and will run for an 18-month trial period. If it works well, the council will consider making it permanent.

The council says the scheme follows a consultation with 323 members of the public, 65 per cent of whom supported bringing the gate in. The council had proposed the gate would apply 24/7 but changed this to allow access in evenings and on Sundays.

The council said: "These roads were for resident and visitor access only before, but the restriction is difficult to enforce, and drivers were not following it. The police and Cardiff Council policy do not support access-only orders."

A ban on right turns from Crystal Glen into Heathwood Road to prevent queueing vehicles, introduced in 1996, is being removed for the trial period as the amount of traffic is expected to be lower.

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