Preston bus lane: £1.3m in fines issued to 23,000 drivers in two months

Lancashire County Council said it introduced the bus lane to try and reduce congestion in the city centre

More than £1.3m in fines were issued in the two months after a new bus lane was introduced in Preston city centre.

Restrictions are in place between 11:00 and 18:00 on two sections of Fishergate and were introduced on a trial basis on 31 October 2016 to reduce congestion.

Misuse of the lane has seen over 23,000 drivers receive £60 penalty notices.

A Lancashire County Council spokesman said almost 16,000 had already paid their fines and the restrictions would continue until a review in April.

Roger Lawson, from the Association of British Drivers, said bus lanes were "discriminatory" and without any actual benefits.

Councillor John Fillis said the changes, which are in place from Mount Street to Corporation Street and at the Butler Street junction, had had a "big effect" in reducing traffic levels over the festive period.

He said there was a "growing consensus that the measures worked" and as a result, he had "decided that the bus lane should stay at least until we are able to assess how the changes work at different times of year".

"We definitely don't want to issue any £60 penalty charge notices, but it is an important way for us to enforce these changes," he added.

"The aim is to help to reduce traffic build-up that has affected parts of the city centre at the busiest times."

Mr Lawson said bus lanes "don't encourage people to get on the bus".

"These arguments [about reducing congestion] are specious and used to attack the use of private vehicles," he added.