Councils make £80m in a year from bus lane finesSignage to warn drivers away clearly isn’t working, says AA, as the number of motorists being caught has not fallen
Gareth Corfield, Transport Correspondent 6 June 2024 • 8:30pm
bus lane camera(top left) records car.traffic moves to left lane to turn left into kings avenue(traffic lights in distance).acre lane.SOUTH LONDON
A camera (top left) records traffic entering the bus lane to turn left in Acre Lane, south London Credit: Peter Payne/Peter Payne
Bus lanes have been branded a “huge money-spinner” for town halls as new figures show annual council surpluses from their enforcement added up to £80 million.
Analysis of Department for Transport data by the AA found English local authorities generated a combined £127.3 million in revenue from fining motorists for driving in bus lanes last year.
Taking £47.7 million of costs into account, this resulted in a financial surplus of £79.6 million.
The surplus, or profit, is up 40 per cent on 2019, when councils made a surplus of £56.84 million from them.
Most of the profit was generated by Transport for London (£48.5 million). Manchester council made £4.8 million, Bristol council hauled in £2.9 million, while Essex council took £2.5 million from motorists.
Bus lane rules vary, with some only operating at periods of peak congestion, or open to certain other vehicles such as taxis and motorbikes. Many are enforced by cameras, leading to fines being issued for improper use.
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Drivers who enter a bus lane when not permitted on a Transport for London (TfL) road face a penalty charge notice of £160, reduced to £80 if paid within a specific time.
Luke Bosdet, a spokesman for the AA, said: “Bus lanes are a huge money-spinner for many local authorities that enforce them. The cameras that monitor them haul in fines on an industrial scale. The problem is that, for many sites, the number of drivers caught doesn’t go down.
“That strongly suggests that signage and road markings often don’t do their job in directing drivers away from bus lanes, which need to be kept clear to maintain the efficiency of public transport.
“It’s hard to believe that so many motorists throw themselves into bus lanes like lemmings, for the joy of losing a day’s wages. There needs to be greater transparency of fine levels for bus lanes that are hauling in so much income.
“If so many drivers are being caught along a stretch of road then surely the enforcement isn’t working properly and the cause of the failure needs to be understood and rectified.”
Councils apply for enforcement powers
Earlier this year, The Telegraph revealed that dozens of councils from around the country had applied for powers to fine motorists who drive in bus lanes.
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Out of England’s 152 highway authorities, 85 currently have the power to fine drivers up to £70 for traffic violations.
Laws passed in May 2022 let all councils across England and Wales apply for the enforcement powers.
In total, 52 of 119 newly eligible local authorities in England have been granted powers to enforce these “moving traffic offences”.
Illustrations and source:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/06/06/councils-make-80m-in-a-year-from-bus-lane-fines/
