DATA shows fewer large lorries are flouting the weight restriction on Barnard Castle’s County Bridge following the installation of new cameras and enforcement action taking place.
New monitoring equipment was installed in October 2022, which is also able to detect overseas number plates and works in all conditions, day or night.
Ros Evans, of the Barnard Castle HGV Action Group, told residents at the annual town meeting last week that no fines were issued in the first 90 days of the camera coming into operation, but during the period October 26, 2022, and December 31, 2022, some 91 violations of the weight restriction were recorded. Of these, her report said, 93 warnings were issued and three drivers were hit with penalty charge notices (fines).
The figures dropped to 69 violations between January and March last year, when 54 warnings were issued and 15 fines handed out. There were five repeat offenders during the period.
Figures dropped further between April and June 2023 when 43 HGVs were caught, 12 warnings issued and 31 fines given. This time there were four repeat offenders.
Between July and September last year the numbers stabilised to 46 offenders, all of whom were fined, and only one repeated the offence.
In the last three months of the year the numbers had dwindled to 25 offenders, all of whom were issued with penalty charge notices. Two were repeat offenders.
Ms Evans said: “As you can see there has been a reduction over the period of the number of people crossing the bridge when they shouldn’t.
“That is what the stats say but I don’t know whether that is what people in Barnard Castle actually experience or not.
“I think it is really up to the community to say something if that is not the case.”
She added that there had been a problem of HGVs making their way down Bridgegate and reversing before reaching County Bridge, but was unsure if this was still the case because they are not picked up by the camera.
She concluded: “As I say, it is up to people in the community to pipe up if they think there is something wrong.”
