Council issues over 40,000 bus lane fines

Coventry City Council issued over 42,813 tickets to drivers in April 2023-24, new data show

Coventry City Council has issued thousands of bus lane fines to drivers in the past year.

The council issued over 40,000 bus lane fines in the year to April 2024, according to Freedom of Information requests by advice firm Personal Injury Claims UK.

The data showed that the council also ranked highly for the number of fines when compared to similar authorities.

A spokesperson for Coventry City Council said access to bus lanes was restricted in order to reduce bus journey times and traffic, as well as improving air quality.

A bus gate on Hales Street, at the junction with The Burges, accounted for more than 27,000 of the fines

The figures showed that the authority issued 42,813 tickets to drivers for breaking bus lane restrictions in the 12-month period.

Coventry issued the fourth highest number of fines out of 22 metropolitan districts, with only Manchester, Sheffield and Birmingham sending out more during this time, the research showed.

The tickets were worth £1.2 million if every driver paid £30, the company said.

A bus gate on Hales Street, at the junction with The Burges, accounted for over 27,000 of the fines issued. This bus gate has been in force since July 2023.

A bus gate is a short section of a road that can only be used by buses, as opposed to just one lane.

A spokesperson for Coventry City Council said: “Access to bus lanes is restricted to buses, taxis and other authorised vehicles with the aim of reducing bus journey times, reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality.”

They added that many local authorities enforced their bus lanes and any driver who received a fine could appeal to an independent adjudication service.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.