Drivers paid £41 million in bus lane fines last year

Councils are being called on to clear up confusion around bus lanes - after it emerged that a whopping 888,760 fines were handed out to drivers in 2017.

A freedom of information investigation by Confused.com has discovered that Scotland has the highest number of drivers fined for flouting bus lane rules - with 108,735 fines handed out to drivers in Glasgow last year alone.

However, the most profitable bus lane is in Oxford with a camera on the bustling high street raking in close to £1.5 million in fines in 2017.

A typical penalty charge notice (PCN) for driving in a bus lane is £60, reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days. This money goes straight to the local council and is usually spent on local transport projects.

While car drivers are banned from some bus lanes 24 hours a day, others only apply during certain times. These are indicated below the signs for the bus lanes. However, Confused.com claims that these rules need to be made clearer.

“Drivers needs to be listened to for a change – it’s only right that some of this fine money is invested to make bus lanes and signage clearer."

“The £41 million in fines issued by councils are testimony to the fact that bus lanes are one of the most confusing challenges motorists face on our already chaotic roads," said the website's motoring editor, Amanda Stretton.

“Drivers needs to be listened to for a change – it’s only right that some of this fine money is invested to make bus lanes and signage clearer."

Confused.com surveyed 2000 motorists and found that 48 per cent of drivers had unknowingly driven in a bus lane, while more than a quarter (28 per cent) admitted to doing so in a bid to beat traffic.

What is a PCN, and what should I do if I receive one?

Drivers can be handed a PCN (penalty charge notice) if they commit a traffic offence such as parking on double yellow lines or driving in a bus lane. These are sent to the car's registered keeper and, as they're civil matters rather than criminal offences, they're dealt with by a fine.

Drivers can reduce the financial impact of the PCN by paying the fine as soon as possible - they usually double if they're not paid within two weeks, and it then escalates if it's not paid with 28 days.

To contest a PCN, you must do so within 28 days. When you open an appeal, the fine will freeze until it's resolved. To open an appeal, most councils require a formal representation in writing - there'll be instructions on how to do this on the PCN itself.

If the appeal is rejected, it can be advanced to the independent Traffic Penalty Tribunal. This service allows drivers to open a case online and is the final stage of the appeal process.

Drivers who simply refuse to pay risk court action and bailiffs being sent to their home to recover costs.