Dozens of drivers will soon open letters from police after ignoring bus lane restrictions near two Norwich schools.
Norfolk roads policing officers will be sending notices of intended prosection (NIP) to more than 100 drivers for flouting the bus gate rules on Catton Grove Road, which start near Lilburne Avenue.
The bus gate is intended to stop rat-running and protect people near Angel Road Junior and Infant Schools, and stops drivers travelling south - towards the city - between Catton Grove Road and Angel Road from 7.30am to 9am during the week.
During those hours, only buses, cyclists and taxis can use the stretch.
Norwich North's Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) had taken to Twitter on Tuesday to remind drivers of the restrictions, warning officers would be enforcing it soon after receiving "numerous public complaints".
And on Wednesday they acted on the warning, catching more than 100 drivers ignoring the restrictions, as well as one person using their mobile phone, another driving without a seat belt and three driving without a valid MOT.
PC Shaun Quinn, part of the Norwich North SNT, said they received complaints over misuse of the road from time to time, but that the number of concerns had increased in recent weeks.
"The restriction was put in place as there are a couple of schools nearby and it gets so hectic that it becomes dangerous," he said.
"With the buses going down there too it almost gets to a standstill. The idea is that drivers are diverted."
Alison Whalen, headteacher at Angel Road Junior School, said, as with many schools, school drop-off time could be challenging.
"We do have issues with people parking on the zig zags and the pavement sometimes," she said. "It is a really busy road into the city and it is quite narrow.
"We have the infant school opposite, and lots of our families have a sibling at both schools, so there's quite a lot of families crossing in the morning."
She said they reminded parents to cross at designated crossings, ran schemes where they encouraged parents to park further way, such as at Waterloo Park, and walk the extra distance to school and held road safety sessions for children.
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