Derby bus lane camera catches 50,000 drivers in first year

Penalties have been issued since November 2021

A new bus lane camera has racked up more than 50,000 fines in just over a year, new figures show.

Drivers have been receiving Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) for driving through Corporation Street in Derby city centre since November 2021.

Derby City Council banned motorists - bar buses and taxis - from using the road between 07:00 and 19:00 in 2020.

The authority said the rollout had been a success, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Between November 2021 and December 2022, a total of 52,355 fines were handed out to motorists caught driving through the bus lane.

On the basis that all of the 52,355 fines were paid out at a minimum penalty charge of £35, the council could have received income of about £1.8m

'Congestion cut'

Verna Bayliss, director of planning and transportation at the city council, said: "Part of the scheme was to support journey times for buses and I would say it has had overwhelming support from the bus operators. They love it.

"It's removed the daily grind through this part of the city centre. [At the bus station] the vehicles are not standing and waiting, they can move around the concourse much more effectively."

Letters were initially sent to motorists breaching the restriction before the council started to issue fines from the end of 2021.

Council bosses said before the pandemic there were around 600 vehicles an hour going along Corporation Street but this has been reduced to about 15.