Three more Auckland CBD bus lanes are now monitored 24/7 by CCTV cameras

Auckland Transport says it has now installed permanent CCTV camera monitoring of bus lanes on Queen Street, Hobson Street and Khyber Pass Road.

Those three roads are in addition to Fanshawe Street, which has been in place since July last year.

Bus lane infringements have traditionally been monitored by council staff on the side of the road using a camera.

Dressed in high-visibility clothing and toting a large camera, they are typically easy to spot and avoid by motorists.

AT spokesperson John Strawbridge said yesterday that the CCTV monitoring system generates and automated alert when possible infringements take place, reducing workload.

After CCTV monitoring was introduced on Fanshawe Street, AT said they saw a jump in the number of infringements issued, possibly due to motorists having a false sense of security, but the number soon dropped to normal levels.

Mr Strawbridge said "a bus can move around 70 people, it's much more efficient than clogging the roads with cars.

"The lane on Fanshawe Street currently carries more than 5,000 people during the morning peak hour, compared to approximately 1800 people in cars in the other two lanes."