TROUBLE DECKER
Motorists fined £127million last year by local councils after straying into bus lanes
Howard Cox, founder of FairFuelUK, urged councils to allow drivers to use bus lanes in quiet time
LOCAL councils collected £127million in fines last year from drivers who strayed into bus lanes.
Government figures revealed town halls made £80million from it after enforcement running costs were deducted.
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London with £72milion, and Manchester on £6.8million, were the biggest beneficiaries and among 14 local authorities which took more than £1million from the schemes.
Sheffield, Leeds and Leicester were also in the top ten.
But the total figure may be up to £150million as 83 councils, including Bristol and Birmingham, did not submit figures in time for publication, said the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
The schemes photograph drivers in bus lanes and issue automatic penalties.
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Most range from about £60 to £90 but drivers in London must pay up to £160 — halved if paid within two weeks.
The AA called the enforcement “ruthless” after some of its vehicles sent to help stranded motorists in bus-only lanes attracted fines.
Howard Cox, founder of FairFuelUK, urged councils to allow drivers to use bus lanes in quiet times to cut down on congestion. He added:
“Hitting motorists who accidentally stray into bus lanes is a big earner for local authorities.
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“The list of ways to fleece drivers seems inexhaustible.”
The Local Government Association said: “Bus lanes are designed to make using public transport quicker, more reliable and more attractive.
“Councils make no apologies for enforcing the law.”
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