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#Post#: 25274--------------------------------------------------
Councils make £80m in a year from bus lane fines
By: John U.K. Date: June 8, 2024, 5:32 am
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Councils make £80m in a year from bus lane fines
Signage 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:
HTML https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/06/06/councils-make-80m-in-a-year-from-bus-lane-fines/<br
/>
#Post#: 25819--------------------------------------------------
Re: Councils make £80m in a year from bus lane fines
By: Hippocrates Date: June 13, 2024, 5:54 am
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I am up for a protest in every bus lane if anyone would care to
join me and expose the scandal of the last 18 years up to last
year re the VCA certificates. Anyone like to calculate how much
income was derived from 2005-2023? :'( :o :(
#Post#: 26016--------------------------------------------------
Re: Councils make £80m in a year from bus lane fines
By: istone Date: June 14, 2024, 10:47 am
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If it reduces my unfair council tax I am all for it.
They do need to do it right though.
#Post#: 26072--------------------------------------------------
Re: Councils make £80m in a year from bus lane fines
By: ivanleo Date: June 14, 2024, 1:54 pm
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[quote author=istone link=topic=2143.msg26016#msg26016
date=1718380051]
If it reduces my unfair council tax I am all for it.
[/quote]
It won't, to give you one example Camden have used the money to
do various silly things such as painting "pride" flags on the
carriageway.
#Post#: 26115--------------------------------------------------
Re: Councils make £80m in a year from bus lane fines
By: Hippocrates Date: June 15, 2024, 6:29 am
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All the bus lanes in Southwark to watch out for as council
issues over £1.1million in fines
It has more bus lanes than any other London Borough
HTML https://t.co/DJ1m4unojT
Southwark Bus Lanes story of 8th June.
#Post#: 26231--------------------------------------------------
Re: Councils make £80m in a year from bus lane fines
By: Hippocrates Date: June 16, 2024, 4:23 am
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HTML https://www.ftla.uk/the-flame-pit/tommy-poirot-to-expose-all-london-councils'-bus-lane-enforcement/msg26228/#msg26228
Another Southwark story regarding their PCN wording. A costs
decision looms in July.
#Post#: 26267--------------------------------------------------
Re: Councils make £80m in a year from bus lane fines
By: Hippocrates Date: June 16, 2024, 10:32 am
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HTML https://www.ftla.uk/the-flame-pit/tommy-poirot-to-expose-all-london-councils'-bus-lane-enforcement/msg26266/#msg26266
At least two Southwark officers wrote that their PCNs were
complaint and correct. ::)
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