Britain's most lucrative bus lane makes £16,000 a DAY as cameras are switched back on a year after the same stretch was branded a 'trap'

  • Lancashire County Council were last year previously ordered to switch off their cameras in central Preston due to inadequate warning signs on stretch of road 
  • But after sorting out new signage in time for Christmas cameras were back on 
  • In the first week, the council nabbed 1,924 drivers with their hefty £60 fines
  • The seven-day total was a whopping £115,000 - around £16,000 each day 

By Anthony Joseph for MailOnline

Published: | Updated:

Britain's most lucrative bus lane is making £16,000 a day as cameras were switched back on just a year after the same stretch branded a 'trap'. 

Lancashire County Council were last year previously ordered to switch off their cameras on Fishergate, in Preston, due to inadequate warning signs.

But after sorting out new signage in time for Christmas, the authority has seen their coffers swell by £16,000 a day.

In the first seven days since turning the cameras back on last month, the county council nabbed 1,924 drivers with their hefty £60 fines - totalling £115,000.

Furious motorists branded the short bus lane, on one of the major routes into Preston town centre, a 'disgrace'.

Lancashire County Council were last year previously ordered to switch off their cameras on Fishergate due to inadequate warning signs

Lancashire County Council were last year previously ordered to switch off their cameras on Fishergate due to inadequate warning signs

Driver Kieron Dawson, 42, said: 'It is increasingly difficult to travel in and also park in Preston to go shopping.

'Do they want us all to simply shop on Amazon? It's a disgrace we get collared with fines for driving down a road.'

Student Annabelle Jones, 19, said: 'It gives the impression they don't want our custom. Like they want to keep drivers out.'

Visitor Muriel Barnes, 68, said: 'I drove down from Blackpool to go shopping here but wasn't aware of bus lane cameras. I hope I didn't get done.'

The bus lanes, which run on Fishergate - but only between Mount Street and Corporation Street - are in operation from 11am to 6pm every day.

Last year the council agreed to refund 23,000 motorists who had been collectively fined £1.3m, after their bus lane camera signage on Fishergate was ruled inadequate.

The Traffic Penalty Tribunal Adjudicator (TPTA) ruled in favour of six motorists who challenged their fines.

In the two months it was originally launched in October last year, the cameras captured around 30,000 errant drivers.

In December 2016 the motoring organisation the AA accused the county council of setting a 'trap' for drivers and urged motorists to challenge the fines.

By the time the system was shut down in December last year, tickets worth up to £1.8m had been issued.

Senior TPTA inspector Stephen Knapp heard five test cases and then walked around Fishergate and its feeder roads before ruling the warning signs for drivers entering the area were 'not adequate.'

The TPTA ruled the council's signs had all fallen foul of the law and the fines must be repaid to the cleared drivers.

Now the council has finally installed fresh signage and on November 6th Fishergate's cameras were all switched back on with a blaze of publicity.

The bus lane cameras automatically issue £60 fines which can be reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days

The bus lane cameras automatically issue £60 fines which can be reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days

The bus lane cameras automatically issue £60 fines which can be reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days.

The tickets issued in the first week of being switched back on would have made the council £57,720 if all paid within 14 days - or £115,440 if all not paid within 14 days.

Now Councillor Keith Iddon, Lancashire County Council's executive member for transport, has said: 'Everybody was well advised, the signs are obvious enough.

'I don't want to see anybody get a fine. It's not pleasing to me.'

Mr Iddon said improved signing had now been installed, including larger signs.

He added: 'My whole aim in this is to keep this a shared space fore everybody, keep the buses running through, make it a pleasant experience.'

He said motorists continued to 'abuse' the rules, despite the cameras operating for a 'short period'.

He added: 'We don't want anyone to get caught out by these cameras.

'We're happy if we don't make a penny from them, as it means that people are doing the right thing.

'There has been a significant increase in the number of drivers ignoring these restrictions since we suspended the camera enforcement, which shows that we need additional measures in place.' 

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Britain's most lucrative bus lane makes £16,000 a day

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