Bus lane fines in Wolverhampton raise £4.2 million for council amid confusion questions

Councillor Qaiser Azeem, cabinet member for transport, said the council had raised just shy of £4.2 million from buy lane enforcement from April 2020 to August 2024.

Councillor Azeem released the figures at a meeting of Wolverhampton Council, in response to a question from Penn councillor Paul Singh, of the opposition Tory group.

Drivers are typically fined £70 for entering bus lanes, but the charge is reduced by half if paid within 21 days.

Assuming that the majority of drivers will have taken advantage of this offer, the £4.2 million figure suggests about 120,000 fines will have been issued over a 52-month period, averaging 76 fines a day.

Councillor Singh said the number of fines being issued to motorists raised questions about the clarity of the signs and road markings.

"The sheer scale of fines collected suggests that many drivers are either unaware of bus lane restrictions or confused by the current signage," he said.

"This isn't about opposing bus lanes, but ensuring they are clearly marked and that the public understands where and when they apply.

"Clearer signage and communication could prevent many of these fines from being issued in the first place."

Councillor Singh said the council had a responsibility to ensure the people of Wolverhampton were not being unfairly penalised.

"The council must be clear about where this money is going and whether it is being used effectively to improve transport infrastructure," he added.

Councillor Azeem said bus lanes played an important role in ensuring reliable journey times, and helping the authority meet its statutory net-zero targets.

He said council officers would look into any reports of confusion.

"Using a bus rather than a car for short trips reduces emissions by 42 per cent," he said.

"To deter the illegal use of bus lanes, we have clear signs at the start and throughout the length of all bus lanes.

"If there's any confusion I will take it back to officers."