New driving law plans could see motorists avoid £160 fines for travelling in bus lanes
The rules would be in place for the month of December
GETTY
Experts are calling for new road rule changes to allow for certain drivers to be able to use bus lanes without attracting a penalty.
With the Christmas season already here, millions of Britons are scrambling to buy presents for their friends and families, with many opting to purchase their gifts online.
However, with this becoming a more common method of sorting Christmas presents, delivery drivers can become overwhelmed with some potentially getting their parcels later than anticipated.
In a bid to cut down on this threat, experts are suggesting new driving law changes to allow delivery drivers to use bus lanes over the Christmas party.
WATCH NOW: Drivers hit with fines for breaking road rules
This could act as a suitable method to ensure people get their presents on time, delivery drivers can save time and ease other lanes of traffic.
If someone is caught driving in a bus lane, they will normally be hit with a £70 fine or up to £160 if it is done in Greater London.
These fines will be halved to £35 and £80 respectively if the driver who committed the infraction pays within a certain amount of time.
Experts are calling on new laws to ensure all delivery vans are exempt from fines for using bus lanes throughout the month of December.
With December always being a busy period for all drivers, experts suggest that allowing delivery drivers to use bus lanes would also free up traffic, cutting waiting times.
Tim Alcock, from LeaseVan, said: “December may be ‘the most wonderful time of the year’, but for delivery drivers, it’s a thing of nightmares.
“That’s why we wanted to find a solution to help ease the pressure on delivery drivers while making it easier for customers to have their orders more quickly.
“Having bus lanes available will help separate delivery vans from typical ongoing traffic so they can easily drive through busy streets and avoid disappointing customers.”
Over 130 million parcels containing gifts are sent every year, meaning delivery drivers will be especially busy over the Christmas period.
In 2022, local authorities in England were given the chance to apply for new powers to enforce “moving traffic offences”.
This included traffic infractions including stopping in a yellow box junction, illegal U-turns, going the wrong way in a one-way street and driving in a bus lane.
The Government said these changes would “improve air quality through reduced traffic congestion” as well as help to boost the reliability of bus networks.
Driving the wrong way down a bus lane has been categorised as a “higher level penalty” with fines of up to £105 for late payment of these charges.
Tim Alcock added: We believe this should be trialled throughout December and if the scheme turns out to be a success, then it can be an annual tradition.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Around 130 million parcels are sent through the post every year
PA
“Making this small change to bus lane rules could be the solution to getting millions of Christmas presents on doorsteps in time.”