More than 73,000 fines have been handed out to drivers for going through a bus gate on Union Street in Aberdeen.
The controversial traffic measure was introduced back in September 2020, though it was not fully functioning until a permanent working camera was installed in late July 2021.
This means that a whopping 97% of fines were given out in just 11 of the 22 months the gate was in place — equivalent to about 213 fines every day.
Or one fine every six minutes for nearly a year.
The bus gate was closed in June 2022
The original Union Street bus gate, which extended from the top of Market Street to the turn-off with Adelphi, only allowed buses, taxis, bikes and a handful of other authorised vehicles to go through.
Right from the start, motorists complained that the new road infrastructure was not well signposted and did not provide drivers with an alternative route.
In mid-April 2022, 19 months after the bus gate was installed, the council confirmed that three of its signs were incorrect.
Despite this error, the local authority maintained that the other signs were “sufficient to guide of the restriction”.
The incorrect signs were fixed approximately two months before the bus gate was removed for good (with a new one now installed further up Union Street).
Difficulties in obtaining data from the council
Ever since the bus gate was removed in June, the Press & Journal has been trying to find out how many fines the council issued to drivers who drove through the traffic measure in non-permitted vehicles.
Initially, the numbers we received from the local authority were incorrect.
After a complaint to the council and a formal review, the right numbers were provided and show that 73,622 fines were given out to motorists for driving through the original bus gate over the entire course of its lifetime.
This is significantly more than any other bus gate in the city.
Of this number, approximately 63,241 fines were handed out while the signs were incorrect, with an additional 10,381 fines given in the final two months of the bus gate with the correct signage in place.
What to do with the £4.4m?
The total number of fines given out by the council amounts to more than £4.4 million.
The charge for driving through a bus gate in an unauthorised vehicle is £60 which is reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days.
Aberdeen Council’s former transport spokeswoman previously said that cash generated by the original Union Street bus gate should be used to improve the signage for it.
Though of course this bus gate no longer exists, the money generated by bus gate fines for the council must be spent on improving transport projects in the city, such as cycle lanes or bus stop improvements.
An Aberdeen City Council spokeswoman said: “Restrictions are vital to ensuring a managed flow of traffic 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.”
They added that the council encourages people to walk, cycle, or take public transport where they can and that bus lanes and bus gates are part of continuing to build an infrastructure to facilitate this.
Do you believe you were fined unfairly? We want to hear from you
Ever since the original bus gate was installed back in 2020, the P&J has been receiving letters and phone calls from drivers who believe they were unfairly fined.
The majority cite poor and, at times, incorrect signage as the reason they unwittingly drove through the traffic measure.
So far the council has rejected any appeal which is based on the lack of appropriate signage.
We at the P&J believe this is wrong, and have been gathering the opinions of likeminded motorists for a future project.
If you would like to be involved, please get in touch at environmentandtransport@ajl.co.uk
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