THE number of motorists fined for driving in bus lanes has more than tripled in just one year.

Brighton and Hove City Council issued more than 16,700 fines worth a total of more than £1.1 million to motorists driving in bus lanes in 2015/16 compared to 5,542 in the 12 months before.

The introduction of new cameras for bus lanes along the A259 at Rottingdean and in Western Road in Brighton are behind the huge increase.

Motoring groups warned that the number of fines dished out could increase still further once work starts on the £18 million Valley Gardens project.

The scheme has provision for new bus lane cameras to stop motorists entering the newly designed system from the North Laine and driving along bus lanes.

Brighton and Hove City Council said the council acted after receiving regular complaints from bus drivers and passengers about delays caused by a small minority of the 20,000 vehicles using the coast road daily driving in the bus lane.

The introduction of the camera in April 2015 saw a huge leap in tickets issued from 634 the month before to almost 3,000 across the whole city.

The numbers have reduced as motorists have become aware of the cameras but the council is still issuing more than 50 per cent more tickets a month on year-to-year comparisons.

Council officers said the move had led to better compliance from motorists, helped speed up bus journeys, cut down on lane changing so improving road safety and was helping the council meet its environmental objectives by promoting and encouraging greater use of public transport.

Steve Percy from the People’s Parking Protest said: “Driving in the bus lane is not dangerous unless there is a bus there, it’s not like a speeding fine.

“Rules are rules but at the end of the day this is ready-made and regular income for the council.

“It’s going to get worse with Valley Gardens, if you make the wrong turning you will get a fine.

“They should give a bit of leeway especially when the road layout is new but of course there will always be new visitors to the city who will make a genuine mistake and be caught out.”

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokesman said: “There are no targets or predictions set for fines from any bus lane cameras.

“The only aim is to deter people from driving in bus lanes and disrupting services.

“As the A259 west of Rottingdean has proved, cameras are by far the best way of deterring people from driving in bus lanes.

“Income from bus lane cameras is put into a pot, along with parking income, nearly all of which is used to buy bus passes for older and disabled people.”

A COURTEOUS motorist who quickly got out the way of two emergency vehicles successfully challenged a penalty notice after being slapped with a £60 fine for using a bus lane.

Sarah Graves, 45, of Roundhill Crescent, Peacehaven, momentarily had to use the bus lane to let two police cars through on the A259 Marine Drive road in Rottingdean in 2015.

Weeks later she opened a letter containing a penalty charge notice (PCN) from Brighton and Hove City Council.

Mrs Graves said: “I was on my way to pick my daughter from a friend’s house and did what any other person should do, so it’s laughable really. I thought to myself ‘how ridiculous’.

“You’d think someone would see the picture of the incident before sending it out and realise there are two police cars speeding through the traffic, but no."

Mrs Graves successfully appealed the ticket.

She said: “People should be aware of the circumstances surrounding their motoring fines before being quick to pay them. I wonder how many people just pay up without checking what happened, especially as the incident was a few months ago and memories can be vague?”