THE COUNCIL generated more than one and a half million pounds in one year from bus lane fines.

Brighton and Hove City Council issued 75,029 fines in the 2018/19 financial year to drivers in bus lanes.

The total amount collected was £1,846,643.

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokesperson said: “Bus lane fines are used by councils all over the country to help manage traffic and fairly share out limited road and parking space.

“The council makes no profit from bus lane fines because all the money has to be re-invested, by law, in sustainable transport.

“Nearly all the money from both bus lane and parking fines is spent on bus passes for older or disabled people.

“Councils are legally obliged to provide these – but no dedicated government funding is provided for them.

“The money would otherwise have to be taken from other council services.

“Most of the rest of the money is spent subsidising, for social and economic reasons, bus services which would otherwise not be financially viable.”