Making one mistake can lead to fines of up to £160 in some places
Councils are being urged to issue warning letters to drivers who accidentally drive into a bus lane – rather than fine them straight away. The RAC has made the demand as a new survey has revealed that over a third (36%) of drivers have accidentally driven in a bus lane.
The poll, conducted by the RAC, found that 42% of those who had mistakenly entered a bus lane were caught on camera and fined. Among those surveyed who have driven into a part-time bus lane, a significant 56% felt the signage was not clear enough.
Only a small fraction, just 4%, of motorists, confessed to deliberately driving in a bus lane. Simon Williams, the RAC’s head of policy, commented to say: “We have always maintained that the majority of drivers don’t deliberately set out to drive in bus lanes, so it’s good to see this research confirming that.
“Our suspicions around the visibility and clarity of bus lane signage have also been borne out, with drivers expressing considerable concerns about signs often being hard to spot and difficult to understand. We continue to call on councils to write to drivers who stray into bus lanes the first time, rather than simply issuing them with fines.
“While it’s fair that anyone who deliberately drives in bus lanes should expect to be fined, our research shows that far too many drivers end up doing so unwittingly, most probably because the signage really isn’t good enough.”
The Local Government Association has been asked to weigh in on the issue. Bus lane regulations differ across the board, with some only active during rush hour or accessible to specific vehicles like taxis and motorbikes.
Many bus lanes are monitored by cameras, which can lead to fines for misuse. Motorists who mistakenly drive into a bus lane on a Transport for London road could be slapped with a hefty £160 Penalty Charge Notice, although this is halved to £80 if paid promptly.
A study by the AA, using Department for Transport figures from June last year, revealed that English councils raked in £127.3 million from bus lane fines in the financial year 2022/23. After deducting costs of £47.7 million, they were left with a surplus of £79.6 million, leading the AA to suggest that bus lanes are “a huge money-spinner”.
The poll of 1,763 UK drivers was carried out by research firm Online95 between November 15-24 last year.
