Cameras are being installed at both ends of Market Jew Street in Penzance to enforce a daytime traffic ban on the street.
Restrictions, which prevent cars and delivery vehicles from entering the street between 11am and 4pm, have been in place since 2020 in order to provide space for pedestrians and cyclists to move around safely.
However, the ban has been widely flouted, with latest figures showing that up to 600 vehicles a day are continuing to use the route during the restricted period.
The new cameras are being installed at each end of the street, and will also enforce the no right turn restriction in place at the junction of Adelaide Street and Market Jew Street, and the no entry restriction to all traffic except buses at the Market Place end of the street.
Hackney Carriage taxis will be able to continue to travel on the street from the Albert Street end of the road during the restricted period, but Blue Badge holders will not be exempt from the restrictions.
However, a Blue Badge holder parked in the disabled parking spaces on the street before the restrictions begin at 11am will be able to leave without facing a penalty.
Cllr Dan Rogerson, Cornwall Council’s portfolio holder for transport, said: “The restrictions were put in place as party of the Penzance Healthy Streets project, and have helped create a much more pleasant environment for shoppers and visitors.
“However, there are a large number of people who continue to flout the restrictions, which creates some real safety concerns.
“We have consulted widely on this scheme, and people have strongly supported our aim of making the town centre more accessible and a more pleasant place to visit, and these cameras will help deliver those changes.”
Sarah Shaw, manager of Penzance’s Business Improvement District, said: “We have a traffic counter on Market Jew Street, and it shows that up to 600 vehicles are still flouting the restrictions – that’s up to two every minute.
“Market Jew Street is a wonderful place, full of independent traders, and a real draw for shoppers and visitors alike, and these cameras will help us to create a safer, more vibrant space for everyone.”
ENDS