Bus driver and mum with kids fined as Leeds Council rakes in £1million from bus lane cameras

From off duty bus drivers to a broken down car to a mum with kids in the car and not sure which turning to take, new figures obtained by the Yorkshire Evening Post show, that for the April 2018 to March 2019 financial year, there were 30, 574 penalty charge notices issued for illegally using a designated bus lane.

The statistics have been revealed by a Freedom of Information request which confirmed that the total raked in by the authority was £1,110,447.95.

It is the latest installment in the Yorkshire Evening Post's Your Right to Know Campaign where we use the power of legislation to shine a spotlight on issues that we think you - our readers - have a right to know.

One of those who has been handed a fine is an off duty bus driver who was snapped driving his own car in a bus lane on the route he drives five or six times a day for work.

While he doesn't disagree with the notice he was issued for the bus lane on the Headrow that turns into Park Row, he argues that the fine is too high for the offence that has been committed and a course should be offered, in a similar way to speed awareness, where motorists are educated on the reasons why bus lanes are in place as an alternative to the fine.

The bus driver, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: "The bus lane has been there for as long as I can remember. It is pretty black and white and I don't disagree that what I have done was wrong."

But, he adds the system doesn't really allow for an appeal so most people will pay the fine without question. It is £50 if paid within 14 days but £100 after. However, the bus driver said it took two months to get a response to his appeal - which he lost and had to pay the higher amount.

He added: "I asked for a bit of leeway as at that time it was my regular route and I explained I was driving up and down there five or six times a day and it became force of habit. I got a letter back two months later saying that wasn't on the list of what is accepted. It would be interesting to know what the exceptions are.

"I think the fine is too big and there should be an alternative. You should be allowed to go on a course before the fine, maybe to educate why the bus lane is there and to help the traffic rather than just have the penalty. People will just pay it and not learn but a course and they might not do it again. I pretty much always get cars following me into a bus lane for 30 seconds then they realise and pull out."

A poll of Leeds motorists revealed more tales of woe and mixed opinions.

Phillip Spiby said: "I got hit with a fine a few years back when my car broke down and had to stop in a bus stop. My appeal didn’t help and had to pay as they said it could have been moved out and left on the main road which would have blocked traffic."

Kate Willis said: "I had a fine once, on the way to the Range turned onto the wrong road, realised quickly and turned back but the sign for the bus lane was at the other end of the street so I wasn't aware of it, received a letter very quickly advising me of the fine which I paid as I couldn't face the hassle of questioning it."

And David Watson argues that bus lanes are not effective in helping reduce congestion anyway.

He said: "Bus lanes should be scrapped to get the traffic moving, it worked in Liverpool. If not, at the very least reassign them all to allow high occupancy, ULEV and motorcycles. It is ridiculous in these days of pollution and climate concerns that half the road is unused for 58 minutes out of every hour whilst traffic queues alongside, especially when the one vehicle that can use it weighs 12 tonnes and does 6mpg on dirty diesel whilst often being mostly empty."

And, like the bus driver says, people should look for the signs which warn you of bus lanes.

Jack Burnett-Prince added: "If you’ve been hit with a bus lane fine the only thing you need to do is not drive in a bus lane. Simple really."

Leeds City Council has been approached for comment.