£4 million in fines as thousands caught out by Wolverhampton bus lane cameras

A total of 71,156 penalty charge notices have been issued to motorists who have illegally driven in bus lanes since June last year.

Each one carries with it a £60 fine, which can be reduced to £30 if paid with 14 days.

It means the maximum income for Wolverhampton council adds up to £4,269,360.

Even if all 71,156 penalty notices were paid with two weeks, the council would still have brought in more than £2m. To date the council has collected £1,593,424.

When the first five cameras were introduced 12 months ago it was predicted fines would total around £250,000 in the first year.

Despite the millions of pounds yielded by the cameras, council bosses maintain they are not there to make money for the cash-strapped authority.

And highways chief councillor Steve Evans reaffirmed all profits would be ploughed back into improving roads and public transport.

He said: "We are not doing this as a money-making exercise, although I am absolutely sure the public would think otherwise and that it is the nasty council just trying to make money off the poor motorists.

"Well we couldn't be any clearer - please don't drive in bus lanes. They are not there for cars. They are there for buses and taxis to make their way through busy towns. They are also there for emergency vehicles.

"It is absolutely still the plan to spend any extra cash raised by penalties to improve roads and public transport in the city.

"They are not there to make money. I would rather at best we broke-even on the cameras and people were adhering to the law."

Phase one of the council's scheme came into operation on June 1 last year with cameras installed at Willenhall Road, Stafford Street, Wolverhampton Road, Wednesfield Road and Cleveland Street.

It came after the council took control of the bus lanes from West Midlands Police and cost the authority just £183,000 to set up and pay maintenance costs.

Three more cameras were introduced in November at Pipers Row between Berry Street and Railway Drive, Market Street between Bilston Street and Tower Street and Stafford Street between Fox's Lane and Cannock Road.

The number of penalty notices issued each month has declined rapidly since January, when there were 11,821, compared to May, when there were 6,359.

Councillor Evans said a third phase was in the pipeline for Stafford Street, Wednesfield Street, and in the Bilston area.