MOTORISTS were fined every four minutes for driving in Scotland’s bus lanes last year.
Figures released to the Sunday Mail show drivers in Glasgow were hit hardest with 118,897 fines worth more than £7million handed out.
There were 25,478 fines in Edinburgh – worth in excess of £1.5million – and cameras in
Aberdeen took the total to about £10million.
The figure is similar to that of 2014 – prompting experts to claim the cameras are not changing drivers’ behaviour or helping ease traffic congestion.
The AA condemned the fines, singling out Glasgow authorities for particular criticism.
They said the fact the total was not falling showed cameras were “revenue raising”.
One Glasgow MSP said he gets regular complaints about the cameras.
Bill Kidd, the SNP member for Anniesland, said: “People just feel it’s an unfair and harsh system and I would agree with that point of view.
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“The first they know they’ve been in a bus lane is when they get a fine in through the door.
“I’ve also witnessed near-crashes. People realise they might be in a bus lane and panic.
“I would suspect the council may be using these fines as a money-making exercise – and I’m not happy about that at all.”
The camera at the bus gate at the junction of Glasgow’s West George Street and Nelson Mandela Place is still Scotland’s top earner.
A total of 29,919 drivers were stung there last year – about one every 15 minutes.
The city’s chamber of commerce said the “fining regime risks damaging business”.
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The other big earners among Glasgow’s 16 cameras were at North Hanover Street and Cathedral Street.
Edinburgh’s most fine-heavy camera is at Little France Drive, near the city’s Royal
Infirmary. It issued almost 7000.
A camera at Gartnavel Hospital, Glasgow, was binned in 2014 after concerns over cancer patients being fined on their way to treatment.
More cameras are to be put up in the capital in addition to eight already operating. They will go up on Princes Street.
Drivers are issued with a £60 penalty reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days. The fines rise to £90 if unpaid within 28 days.
The total number of fines handed out in Scotland’s two biggest cities works out at about one every four minutes.
Aberdeen refused to divulge their figures, asking us to submit a freedom of information request. That can take 28 days.
The city issued 12,208 fines in the first half of last year, giving a projected total of about 25,000 for 2015, and taking the total fines in Scotland to £10million. We revealed last March that Scottish drivers were stung for a similar amount two years ago.
The AA’s Luke Bosdet said: “Bus lane cameras are supposed to be used as a deterrent – not as a means to harvest cash from drivers on an industrial basis. These figures, particularly for Glasgow, and particularly the fact they’re not showing any signs of going down over time, show there is something wrong with the system.
“They’re raising lots of revenue – although councils deny this is the point of the cameras, it’s happening nonetheless.”
A Glasgow City Council spokeswoman said: “Driving in bus lanes has always been an offence for anyone other than authorised vehicles. The restrictions are well signed and if a driver is found to be illegally driving in a bus lane a charge will be issued.”
Councillor Lesley Hinds, transport convener for Edinburgh city council , said: “Effective enforcement of bus lane regulations is essential for maintaining a high-quality public transport system.
“Experience shows cameras significantly enhance drivers’ compliance.”