Drivers have been handed £3.8m in bus lane and restrictions contravention fines in Southampton - including 4,000 caught in Portland Terrace bus lane

The city council’s eight fixed automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) camera locations have caught 138,455 motorists since the first sites went online eight years ago.

Figures obtained by the Local Democracy Reporting Service through a Freedom of Information request show that more than 44,902 penalty charge notices (PCNs) were issued for unauthorised vehicles using the bus lane in Shirley Road.

The bus gate at Vincent’s Walk in the city centre, which went live in 2018 two years after Shirley Road, has seen 44,078 fines sent out.

A bus gate was introduced in Portland Terrace in late February this year and it has already racked up more than 4,000 offending motorists.

Drivers were not fined initially, and many ignored the rules. But now drivers have paid £49,155 in fines for flouting the Portland Terrace bus lane.

The penalty issued to drivers is £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days.

Cllr Eamonn Keogh, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “Southampton City Council has introduced moving traffic enforcement (MTE) sites using ANPR to reduce network congestion and improve highway safety.

“In addition, it is also anticipated that the MTE sites will help to improve journey times for buses and emergency vehicles.”

Of the cameras enforcing zig-zag line restrictions outside schools, the Ludlow Infant/Junior site recorded the most drivers with 1,363 PCNs issued, followed by Foundry Lane with 727.

Labour member Cllr Keogh said surplus income received through ANPR enforcement was spent on improving highways and measures to improve public transport, in line with national legislation and local policy.

Earlier this year, a report to cabinet said three additional locations could be introduced by the city council.

Local authority forecasts suggested the current ANPR enforcement sites, as well as the mobile enforcement vehicle, would bring in income of £3.07million over the next five years.

If the three extra cameras were introduced, this projected figure would increase to £4.435million.

A controversial bus gate trial is set to take place in Portswood Road next year as part of a major highways scheme.

Cllr Keogh said: “The council will only introduce new MTE sites where it has evidence of a high rate of contraventions which cannot be reduced through engineering or education.

“Any new sites to be introduced will be publicly announced and displayed on signs at the relevant locations.”