BLACKBURN with Darwen’s spy car to enforce new bus lanes in the borough is now ready to start — if the government finally gives it the green light.

The council’s executive board has approved all the regulations needed for the £50,000 vehicle, with a CCTV camera attached to its roof, to go into operation. All that is needed is Department for Transport authorisation for the vehicle so the borough can buy or lease it.

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Borough highways chief Phil Riley says that the proposal meets government guidelines, despite Westminster concerns about their over-zealous use by councils. The car would enforce bus lanes, mainly on the £40 million Pennine Reach scheme to speed traffic between Hyndburn and Blackburn with Darwen, and tackle illegal and dangerous parking outside schools.

The car would use automatic number plate recognition technology to identify the owners of vehicles breaking traffic laws and then issue fines of up to £70 direct to their homes.

Last year, then-local government secretary Eric Pickles said using CCTV for routine parking enforcement was unacceptable and seen by the public as a council cash-cow.

Cllr Riley is confident the authority’s proposals for the spy car are in line with government policy. He said the vehicle is purely to crack down on dangerous illegal parkers, mainly outside schools, and motorists driving in bus lanes.

The approval also covered fixed ANPR camera enforcement and the necessary legal provisions for tickets to be issued electronically without a council warden present.

Cllr Riley said: “We now have the powers to enforce the bus lanes for Pennine Reach. We would still like to be able to enforce illegal parking and we are now waiting for the government’s decision on the ANPR vehicle. The success of this large government-funded scheme is dependent on the bus lane being clear at all times and it would be a ridiculous waste of taxpayers’ money if we did not have all the means necessary to ensure that happens.”

Borough Tory leader Mike Lee said: “I have supported this vehicle from the start, as long as it is used correctly. I hope the government approves it with strict conditions.”

The DfT had no immediate comment to make.