Drivers who flout the rules in Portland Terrace are set to be sent warning letters for the first time - months after the stretch was shut off to private vehicles.

Southampton City Council has announced traffic cameras will be switched on this month to make sure only buses, taxis and bikes use the route.

The cameras will be operational from Monday, February 26, in a bid to stop motorists travelling down the city centre road. The scheme is aimed at improving bus journey times.

Drivers have repeatedly flouted the no-through route since it was changed on November 13 - with 54 cars seen driving through the stretch in just 30 minutes.

READ MORE: Motorists seen driving through new Portland Terrace bus zone

Cabinet member for environment and transport, Councillor Eamonn Keogh, said: “The council will be issuing warning letters at first to anyone who misuses the bus and cycle only section of road to give people some time to get used to it.”

Drivers will receive a Penalty Charge Notice of £70 -reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days. A warning letter would first be issued and the charge only comes in after a second time.

All money received from Penalty Charge Notices will be used to pay for the upkeep of the camera system and any surplus funds will be reinvested into Southampton’s roads.  

The council has said that the Portland Terrace re-design will improve bus times to the new Albion Place bus hub and improve bus journeys across the city by around 10 minutes.

Cllr Keogh added: “The redevelopment of Albion Place and Castle Way car parks will create a new bus hub and the first public green space within the Old Town for almost 60 years.

“We need to support a better bus provision for both residents and visitors, as well as a choice of transport options, so that journeys will become easier for all road users.”

The Albion bus hub will officially open in the Autumn and will feature waiting facilities and travel information, with an emphasis on passenger safety with improved lighting and CCTV.

As well as bus users, the council said that a reduction in traffic along Portland Terrace benefits pedestrians and cyclists by creating a safer environment for all.

Taxi drivers, travelling from Central Station to the docks and city centre, will also benefit from quicker journey times, the council said.

Richard Tyldsley, Bluestar general manager, added: "The scheme is designed to improve the environment in the city centre by prioritising sustainable travel - and we wholeheartedly support it.

“Reducing the number of cars within this part of the city centre has the potential to have a significant impact on bus journey times and improve timetable reliability.”

Reacting to the news, deputy opposition leader and city councillor Jeremy Moulton said: “As night follows day, Labour hike up taxes and charges and the motorist is their number one target.

"It was inevitable that Labour would put tax raising cameras into Portland Terrace.

"East Park Terrace will follow and then Portswood Broadway.

"This is all about Labour punishing motorists and forcing people out of their cars and it is a further nail in the coffin for the city’s economy.”