A NEW ticketing program is set to slap drivers with $300 fines if they’re caught parking in certain areas from this week.
The “first phase” of the enforcement surge is now underway, in collaboration with public transport networks.
LA officials will be issuing tickets to drivers under a new crackdown on obstructive parking[/caption]
Officials in Los Angeles have teamed up with the Metro bus service to crack down on illegal parking in the city.
The new rules launched on Friday and have now come into effect as of this week.
They will be targeted at those parking in bus stops and bus lanes to prevent obstructions to public vehicles.
For the initial stages, cameras have now been installed on the 72 bus route, which connects Downtown LA to Santa Monica, and the 212 bus route from Downtown Inglewood to La Brea.
But rather than placing the cameras along the road, they will be fixed to the buses, effectively turning them into roving enforcement cars.
Each of the 50 buses on the routes will be equipped with a pair of smart cameras.
The first one scans for vehicles obstructing the bus lane and, if it finds one, the second camera then reads and records the number plate.
Each offence will then be double-checked by a human operator at the LA DOT before any action is taken.
At first, motorists will be given a grace period to adjust to the program, with offenders given “non-punitive” warnings for the next 60 days.
After that time, tickets will be handed out until the end of the year.
And from early 2025, officials will be able to issue fines to offenders.
These will start at $293, growing to £381 if you don’t pay on time and $406 for repeated failure to pay up.
There will also be an educational outreach campaign from Metro buses to urge drivers against obstructing bus lanes and stops.
Janice Hahn, chair of the Metro board, said: “It’s not fair that a single car blocking a bus lane can hold up a busload of people.
“Those riders deserve to reach their destinations safely and on-time.
“This new ticketing system is important, and I hope people don’t take the risk and move their cars out of the bus lanes.”
LA DOT General Manager Laura Rubio-Cornejo added: “This new program will help our officers ensure we continue to realize those benefits as we expand bus lanes to additional routes across our transportation system.”
