330 parking tickets handed out in NI every day last year
It's been revealed a Stormont department could have made up to £13.4m in Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) fines last year.
The Department of Infrastructure has published statistics which show the amount of people who were fined for parking offences and driving in bus lanes.
A total of 120,917 parking tickets were issued for on and off-street offences in 2016 - that's an average of 330 every day.
There were 84,876 on-street PCNs given out last year - that's an increase of 11% from 2015. Almost half (41%) were issued in Belfast.
There was also an 11% rise in the number of off-street PCNs issued with 32,413 tickets handed out. This ranged from a high of 4,370 (13%) in Fermanagh and Omagh Council to a low of 759 (2%) in Antrim and Newtownabbey Council.
If they were all paid within 14 days at the lower rate of £45, then that means the department made at least £5.4 million off things like cars being parked on double yellow lines, or a driver not buying a pay and display ticket in a council-run car park.
However, with that fine rising to £90 after a fortnight, then the figure could actually be double, rising to £10.8m.
And when you add on the 27,911 people who drove in a bus lane in Belfast ( that's 76 people being caught every day) then the grand total could have topped £13.4 million pounds.
Just over a quarter (26%) of the bus lane contraventions occurred on Donegall Square East, under a fifth (18%) where on Great Victoria Street, approximately a sixth (16%) on Castle Street and an eighth (13%) on College Square East.
At the very least, £6.7m was collected and by the Department of infrastructure and will be pumped back into maintaining the road network.
Publishing the figures the Department said the aim of parking and bus lane enforcement is to reduce the number of vehicles illegally parked on our roads or driving in bus lanes or other bus priority measures.
"This in turn reduces traffic congestion and helps traffic to flow more freely, assists delivery vehicles, helps buses to keep to their timetable and improves bus journey times, improves road safety and provides accessibility for all road users, including Blue Badge holders.
"The enforcement of on-street limited waiting and pay and display spaces, Park and Ride charged car parks and Council operated car parks also encourages a turnover of parking spaces, giving shoppers and visitors more opportunities to find suitable parking."