How traffic camera is catching 32 drivers A DAY and has generated over £1.8 million for Labour-run council_Nhy
A West Midlands city centre bus lane is catching out up to 32 drivers a day on average, it has been revealed.
The ‘confusing’ Victoria Square bus lane in Wolverhampton city centre generated more than £1.8million in fines between April 2020 and September 2024.
The initial bus fine cost of £70 and the reduced version, halved to £35 if paid within 21 days, works out to between 16 and 32 motorists who are caught out every single day on average.
At a full council meeting earlier this month, it was revealed that the Victoria Square northbound bus gate generated £1,075,248 over the past four years, while the Victoria Square southbound generated £782,977. That worked out to a total of £1,858,225 for the Victoria Square bus gate.
This comes after it was revealed that a traffic camera on the Bull Lane bus gate in Enfield fined motorists a record-breaking £8million worth of fines in the space of a year following a Labour council’s installation of the ‘cash cow’ right next to an MOT centre.
The figures were revealed after Cllr Paul Singh questioned Cllr Qaiser Azeem, cabinet member for transport, on the income derived from bus lane enforcement cameras.
Cllr Singh said: ‘Clearly the bus gate is confusing, the evidence is there in the amount of fines generated. I would say the majority of the time, if not 99% of the time, drivers are getting caught out because the signage isn’t clear.
‘With such National Lottery winning figures (£1,858,225), Wolverhampton council has a duty of care to every driver to investigate and make sure this is sorted out.’
A West Midlands city centre bus lane (pictured) is catching out up to 32 drivers a day on average, it has been revealed
The bus gate on Bull Lane (pictured) seems to be promoting incessant fining with 63,134 penalties handed out within a year of the lane’s installation
Victoria Square is comprised of four roads – Pipers Row, Lichfield Street, Fryer Street and Railway Drive – that meet at a junction outside The Britannia Hotel.
Elsewhere, it was revealed that Wednesfield High Street was the third-highest earnest bus gate in the city between April 2020 and September 2024.
A total of £552,308 was generated from fines, working out to between four and nine drivers being caught out there every single day.
In response to the story, a spokesperson for Wolverhampton council said: ‘Bus lanes support the council’s statutory duty to secure the safe and efficient movement of traffic.
‘Prioritising bus movements helps to deliver consistent journey times, particularly at peak traffic periods. This in turn encourages the use of buses as a sustainable mode of transport for the growing number of people coming into the city.
‘Independent figures show Wolverhampton attracted more than 10 million visitors in 2023 – an increase on 2022’s 9.8 million – reflecting the strong offer provided by the city’s major visitor venues.
‘Using a bus instead of a car for short trips also reduces travel emissions by about 42%, so providing efficient and reliable public transport routes has an important role to play as we look to reach our city-wide 2041 net zero target.
Drivers who break the rules will be caught by an automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) camera monitoring the road
‘To deter illegal use of bus lanes, there is clear signage at the start and throughout the length of all bus lanes, along with specific road markings to advise road users.
‘Bus gates and bus lane signs are inspected typically every three months to ensure all signs are present and clearly visible. The signs must conform to legislation, which specifies design and location.
‘Deviating from these regulations or using additional signs could lead to confusion among road users and compromise enforcement, meaning penalty charges are invalidated.
‘People can find information on the City of Wolverhampton Council website about our bus lanes and how to identify them, along with details about enforcement.’
If motorists are served with a Penalty Charge Notice for driving through a bus lane or bus gate, the amount to pay is £70. However, this is reduced by 50% to £35 if payment is received within 21 days of the date of the notice being printed and posted.
