Councils in Aberdeen and Glasgow are dishing out more bus lane fines than London – despite having just one tenth of the population.
Over the last two-and-a-half years 88,000 drivers have been caught using them at peak times in the Granite City, while 288,000 were snapped by cameras monitoring the roads in Glasgow.
Combined, both local authorities issued 376,018 tickets between April 2016 and August this year.
Drivers caught entering a bus lane have to pay a £60 fine, which is reduced to £30 if settled within 14 days.
Between them, the councils took in close to £20 million from this.
At the same time motorists in the capital, which has a population of more than eight million, were hit with almost 100,000 fewer fines.
It would appear they took longer than the Scots to pay off their tickets however, with a higher average fine per person and a total sum of £19.1m.
Aberdeen City Council transport spokesman Ross Grant said: “Bus lanes are vital to ensuring a managed flow of traffic and encourage more people to travel by bus, and that is the prime aim of the cameras, rather than generating revenue.
“The ability to use the net surplus of funds from the bus lane enforcement for transport projects allows the city council to deliver a much greater range of projects for the benefit of its residents and the travelling public.”
Aberdeen city council rakes in more than £7m worth of bus lane and gate fines
John O’Connell, chief executive of The Taxpayers’ Alliance said: “Small charges are sometimes necessary to manage our roads but many motorists simply feel as though they are being used as cash cows for the council.
“There are already sky-high taxes on fuel and for owning a car so councils must be careful that they don’t heap even more misery onto hard-pressed taxpayers.
“What’s also crucial is that local politicians in Scotland don’t see these kinds of charges as a way to plug gaps in the finances, instead of taking decisions to cut out non-essential services.”
Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com which compiled the figures to make a bus lane guide for drivers, said: “The fines issued by councils are testimony to the fact that bus lanes are one of the most confusing challenges motorists face on our already chaotic roads.”
She added: “While there is a place for driving fines, many feel bus lane charges are unfair and excessive, adding to the ream of costs burdening drivers.”
