Reading to get its first red route for buses

Plans to introduce a red route for buses in Reading have been approved.

Motorists stopping on the new double red lines, even briefly, could face fixed penalty notices.

The council said it was introducing the restrictions on the Purple 17 route to prevent delays and improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

Opponents to the scheme, which the authority predicts will raise £100,000 in its first year, said it would create more problems than it would solve.

Twenty of the 40 consultation responses urged the council to abandon the plan, claiming it would make access to some properties more difficult.

They added that a reduction in the number of on-road parking spaces would harm small shops and businesses.

Reading Borough Council said it would retain existing parking spaces and delivery bays "wherever possible".

CCTV cameras will be used to enforce the restriction, although the level of fine has not yet been revealed.

The council said the first sections of the red route will be operational before Christmas.

The double red lines can currently also be found in London, Lancashire and the West Midlands.