£1 million in fines handed out to drivers using Nottingham bus lanes in 2022

More than £1 million in fines has been handed out during 2022 to drivers using a bus lane by Nottingham City Council along one of the city's roads.

More than 39,000 fines - officially known as penalty charge notices - have been given out for people using the Canal Street bus lane, which was introduced as part of wider changes to the Broadmarsh.

Access to this area of the city was changed in 2020 and cars are now unable to use Collin Street or Canal Street to travel west to east and east to west.

The changes to Canal Street have caused issues for several drivers, with some motorists winning an appeal against their fines.

Mark Golds-Jones was fined for using the Canal Street bus lane, but there was only one temporary sign informing him of it at the time.

A Traffic Penalty Tribunal ruled in favour of Mr Golds-Jones and more signage is now in place. It comes as an independent ruling in the driver's favour found that one temporary sign did not "meet the required legal standard".

But Nottingham City Council figures show that thousands of fines have still been handed out this year.

The fines are broken down into drivers fined for using the Canal Street bus lane near Middle Hill and Albion Street and, when considering both, £1,064,804.71 worth of fines have been handed out so far during 2022, with the figures currently running up to the end of September.

For people using the bus lane near Middle Hill alone, fines worth £793,584.71 have been handed out.

The fines are broken down into which day and month they were handed out, with the figures showing that for drivers fined near Middle Hill, the most fines were handed out in April.

In that month, more than 4,000 fines were handed out, though nearly 2,000 fines were eventually cancelled across the whole year.

A Nottingham City Council spokesperson said: "We're pleased that major development across the new Broad Marsh area is creating a better, calmer environment as we progress one of the biggest regeneration schemes in Nottingham's recent history.

"This includes more pedestrian, cycle and bus-friendly options between the city centre, bus and train stations. Changes to the road network on and around Canal Street have been heavily publicised around the city but, unfortunately, some people continue drive into the bus gate.

"However, it's a tiny proportion of vehicles receiving a penalty charge notice (PCN) which pass through this area." Drivers in Nottingham had mixed views about the scale of fines handed out.

Rob Williams, 59, who was born in Nottingham and still visits the city regularly to see family, said: "I was done for driving in a bus lane about five years ago, I know it wasn't on Canal Street but I do remember that I had no idea I was actually in a bus lane.

"So I found it a bit cheeky when the fine came through because I genuinely had no idea. Signage has got to be clear for drivers if councils are going to fine them for breaching rules."

Andrew Martinovs, 50, originally from Kimberley, said: "I know what it is like to be caught out by these things because I live in London now and I was done for driving into an ultra-low emission zone.

"That was a case where I just didn't know the zone was coming up and it was too late so I had to turn around, and I think that's what happens with bus lanes too.

"Even though I'm from here, whenever I regularly come to Nottingham I try to avoid driving too far into the city centre because the road layout changes every time you come. This is obviously a lot of fines so it does suggest perhaps there should be some more signage for drivers."

Rob Stevenson, 57, from Basford, said: "Car drivers are just an easy target and there's bus lanes but there's also the easy fines you get for car parking, which I've ended up paying before.

"I'm thinking of giving up driving altogether soon because it's just a nightmare.

"My ex-partner was done herself for driving in the bus lane on Mansfield Road. I think whenever they are giving fines out they need to look at their signage first, and make sure that signs are fully lit at night and things like that so that drivers have got a fair chance of seeing them."

David Williams, 61, from Wollaton, said: "I'm not backing up giving out this number of fines but the fact is that if councils were properly funded in this country, they wouldn't have to raise money by doing things like this.

"I've never been fined myself but these penalties will be given out in a country obsessed with cars and obsessed with raising money from the people driving them."

The fine for driving in a Nottingham bus lane currently is usually £70, though this is reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days.

A large number of the fines given out have still not been paid though, with more than 4,000 of the Middle Hill fines alone still outstanding.

A Nottingham City Council spokesperson added: "We have met all legal requirements for signage and gone above and beyond these, previously adding additional advisory signage since the changes were first made to provide motorists with further warning and diversions towards the Southern Relief Route.

"We keep this under constant review and have made changes following feedback from the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, which oversees PCN appeals, and we'd happily listen to any further suggestions from the public.

"Funds from fines cover the running costs of the CCTV enforcement system, with any surplus used on traffic initiatives and transport improvements across the city."