'Atrocious' bus gate fines top £500k since January

The bus gate on Cumberland Road has generated tens of thousands of fines

An "atrocious" bus gate scheme in Bristol has generated more than £500,000 in fines since January, it has emerged.

The bus gate on Cumberland Road allows only buses, taxis and bicycles to pass through it without incurring a fixed penalty notice.

Since January, more than 20,000 fines have been issued according to figures from a Freedom of Information request.

According to the city council, the bus gate was installed to improve air quality and give priority to public transport.

'Awful'

Many residents say it is poorly signed and not needed.

Melita Kauntze from Windmill Hill has received five fines.

“It’s atrocious. We weren’t driving down there intentionally, It’s just a way of making money. It’s awful.”

She said she has paid the first fine but plans to appeal the others.

'Improve visibility'

“The signage needs to be much better," she added. "We shouldn’t be punished for not knowing you can’t go that way.

"My sat-nav directed me that way, so how are you supposed to know?”

In a statement Bristol City Council said there were 14 signs in total on the approach to the bus gate, when national government regulations only required it to display two.

It added that notifying sat-nav providers was not its responsibility but has sent forms to sat nav companies to warn them of the bus gate.

The authority also said there were clear road markings, however the markings were not written on a red background as at other bus gates

“We plan to add that to the Cumberland Road Bus Gate to improve its visibility,” a spokesperson said.

'Felt bullied'

The bus gate lies within Bristol’s Clean Air Zone, which has raised millions of pounds in fines for the City Council.

Bedminster resident Tim Brown, who has also received a fine for driving through the bus gate, says he cannot understand the need.

"We have a clean air zone and we’re already restricting polluting vehicles. We’re just pushing traffic onto the other side.”

He paid a £35 fine, which would have been raised to £70 if it wasn’t paid within 21 days of the notice being served. Mr Brown has lived in Bristol all his life.

“I have paid my fine, I didn’t appeal it, although I felt bullied into it. I didn’t know anything about it.”