DRIVERS PAY OUT ALMOST £60 MILLION IN BUS LANE FINES IN ONE YEAR(1)

Nearly 2 million⁽⁵⁾ Penalty Charge Notices were issued in 2019 by over 800⁽⁵⁾ bus lane cameras around the country

***LOCAL FOI FIGURES AVAILABLE***

• Unclear bus lane signs to blame, according to more than one in three (38%) motorists who appealed their fine.⁽²⁾
   
• Confused.com research suggests not all fines are issued fairly in the first place, as three quarters (74%) of drivers paid a reduced fee or nothing at all when they appealed.
   
• Confused.com releases challenge checklist to help drivers appeal unfair fines, as more than one in 10 (12%) found the process confusing.
   
• Confused.com launches giant bus lane sign in Bristol to alert drivers to confusing restrictions and help them avoid a bus lane fine.
   
• Manchester City Council made the greatest income from bus lane PCNs in 2019⁽⁵⁾, followed by Glasgow City Council and Lambeth Council. See if your local area ranks as one of the worst in the UK here. 

Drivers across the UK paid out a whopping £59.6m⁽⁵⁾ in bus lane fines in 2019, with unclear bus lane signs causing confusion on UK roads.⁽¹⁾

That’s according to new data obtained by Confused.com, which reveals 2 million⁽⁵⁾ bus lane Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) were issued by over 800⁽⁵⁾ bus lane cameras in just one year.

But the issue is far greater than this, as further research reveals nearly one in three (28%) drivers have received a fine for driving in a bus lane in the past, with a third (33%) even receiving more than one.⁽²⁾

However, nearly two in five (36%) frustrated drivers have appealed a bus lane penalty they were given, with three in four (74%) successful in their challenge. This just goes to show that not all fines may be issued fairly in the first place. Two in five (41%) said that they didn’t have to pay anything as a result of the appeal, and one in three (33%) paid a reduced price, saving £68, on average.⁽²⁾

The new research highlighted several reasons why drivers have fought their fines. Confusion caused by unclear signage was the most common factor blamed (38%), followed by unclear road markings (31%). Almost a fifth (18%) of drivers even say they felt that the fine was issued to raise money rather than for legitimate reasons.⁽²⁾

But the appeals process isn’t always plain sailing. The investigation revealed that a third (33%) of drivers said the process was time consuming, more than one in ten (12%) found it confusing and even a fifth (20%) of drivers have did not appeal altogether as it was too stressful. Confused.com’s challenge checklist will help to clear up confusion and guide you through the appeals process.⁽²⁾

To help tackle the UK’s unclear signage problem, which appears to be unfairly misleading drivers, Confused.com is unveiling is giant bus lane sign in Bristol. Motorists in Bristol will not be able to miss the sign on Bath Road. It clearly warns that 12,394 drivers crossed the line last year, so they need to keep out of the bus lane to avoid a fine.⁽³⁾

More than one in five (30%) drivers believe that councils make too much money from penalising drivers. One in five (21%) drivers said they are confused about where the money made by PCNs actually goes, with a further third (28%) saying that councils should be spending more money on making road signs clearer.⁽²⁾

To help drivers avoid hefty fines, Confused.com’s study on the UK’s bus lane problem highlights the areas across the UK where you are most likely to get caught out⁽⁵⁾. See if your area is amongst some of the worst offenders.

The top 3 councils which issued the highest number of PCNs in 2019⁽¹⁾:

Local authority	Region	PCNs issued 2019
Manchester	North West	241,924
Glasgow	Scotland	115,534
Birmingham	West Midlands	108,841

The top 3 councils which made the greatest income from bus lane PCNs in 2019⁽¹⁾:

Local authority	Region	Revenue generated 2019
Manchester	North West	£4,827,145.00
Glasgow	Scotland	£3,412,628.14
Lambeth	London	£2,980,604.00

Bus lane PCNs issued and income made in 2019 per region⁽¹⁾:

Region	PCNs Issued 2019	Revenue Generated 2019
London	301,651	£14,688,255.96
North West	390,831	£9,123,915.81
Yorkshire and The Humber	191,999	£6,225,240.74
West Midlands	246,404	£5,573,767.20
East of England	165,893	£5,565,717.26
Scotland	189,025	£5,474,029.56
South East	163,990	£3,617,787.51
South West	122,937	£3,486,179.22
East Midlands	94,036	£2,539,714.53
Wales	75,927	£2,387,340.00
Northern Ireland	11,371	£537,008.13
North East	25,716	£404,684.60

Last year, Prime Minister Boris Johnson proposed that first-time bus lane offenders should avoid fines and be given the benefit of the doubt.⁽⁴⁾ When Confused.com asked drivers across the UK what they thought of this proposed measure, over half (57%) said that this new rule would be a fairer system for those who have made an honest mistake. Drivers around the country also proposed other potential solutions to help motorists avoid such hefty bus lane fines, with almost three in five (59%) calling for clearer road signage to help out in the first place. Almost half (47%) of motorists suggested making all bus lane restrictions apply 24 hours a day to make things less confusing, with a further one in three (32%) proposing for all bus lanes within their local town or city to have the same time restrictions.⁽²⁾

Whilst drivers wait to hear whether bus lane enforcement measures will be revised, it’s important to stay up to speed with the different rules to avoid unfair fines. Keep an eye out for road markings signalling the start of the bus lane and any time restriction signs. If you do enter a bus lane by mistake, check there’s no oncoming traffic so you can leave it when it’s safe to do so. And if you do end up with a fine that you think is unfair, Confused.com has put together a challenge checklist to help make the appeals process a little less stressful.
 

Alex Kindred, Car Insurance Expert at Confused.com says:

“Nearly £60m issued in bus lane fines in 2019 is testament to the fact that bus lanes may be one of the most confusing challenges motorists face on UK roads.

“Clearly drivers want change to avoid receiving a fine for a genuine mistake. It’s only right that some of the money from PCNs is invested back into solutions, such as clearer signage and exemptions for first-time offenders.

“Whilst we wait for councils to consider solutions to our bus lane problem, our challenge checklist should help to make the appeals process clearer if you’ve received an unfair bus lane PCN through the post.