Drivers are about to face a new front in the war on motorists with County Hall installing roadside surveillance cameras to detect traffic offences.
Norfolk County Council hopes the devices will bring in hundreds of thousands of pounds in fines to help plug its £46.2m budget gap.
But motoring groups have criticised the plans, saying they may put the Conservative-led authority on a "collision course" with the government.
Prime minister Rishi Sunak said recently that he was "slamming the brakes on the war on motorists", amid concerns that local authorities were using traffic infractions as a way to raise revenues.
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County Hall intends to install the cameras within weeks to detect drivers committing 'moving traffic offences', such as ignoring bans on turns, going into bus lanes and down pedestrianised streets.
Until now, Norfolk motorists committing such offences could only be caught by police officers.
But the government had announced councils would be given powers to issue £70 penalty notices to drivers it caught and County Hall secured permission to do so.
The county council, facing a huge budget gap, hopes to start installing cameras in six streets from November to snare law-breaking motorists.
Council papers state that would bring in £250,000 in fines between 2024 and 2027.
The first cameras would be in Norwich and Great Yarmouth and the council has said cameras could be used in other locations in future years.
Which streets would be covered?
The Norwich streets due to be covered are:
Gentlemen’s Walk – pedestrian/cycle zone with access for loading only permitted between certain times of the day.
Carrow Road/King Street – devices in both streets will enforce the right turn ban on to King Street during morning and evening peak times in order to ease congestion.
Dereham Road - enforcing bus lane violations near Norwich Road and Marl Pit Lane.
Drivers going in bus lanes in Dereham Road could be caught by new cameras
In Great Yarmouth, Regent Road would be covered - a pedestrian zone with access for loading only during quieter periods of the day, which the council says is often violated by vehicles.
The council said locations of future moving traffic enforcement sites would be based on feedback from various sources, including councillors, the public and transport operators.
Officers said assessment of highway network performance, with the aim of improving road safety and the flow of traffic, would also be considered and new sites would be subject to consultation.