A £1.7 million "fast-track" bus lane should be up and running on a busy Bolton commuter route by the end of the year.

It will be the first of its type in Greater Manchester and the idea is to persuade town centre workers that it will be quicker to leave their cars at home and catch the bus.

There will be a buses-only lane at peak times along the length of Derby Street and St Helens Road.

And in the long term, there could even be a camera fitted on the front of some buses to catch drivers who go into the bus lane.

They are currently used in London and Greater Manchester's Passenger Transport chiefs are looking into the possibility of introducing them here.

Traffic lights will also have sensors on them to detect buses and to give them priority. The route will eventually link a 12 km stretch between Bolton, Leigh and Atherton and the Derby Street and St Helens Road link will be the first phase.

It will involve Bolton Council bringing in parking restrictions and stopping cars exiting some side roads on to the main road.

The idea is that it will be as quick to travel into Bolton and back by bus at peak times as it is during quieter periods.

There will also be top quality bus stops with shelters being provided at all of them. Bolton Council's highways sub committee yesterday gave the go-ahead for the changes to be advertised.

If there are no major objections, it is planned that work will begin in July and be finished in November.

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