Cambridge street where most drivers hit by fines for breaching bus gates
The bus gate in Silver Street saw more drivers pay fines for illegally driving
Over £1million worth of fines were paid by drivers breaching bus gate restrictions in Cambridge last year.
The bus gate in Silver Street saw more drivers pay fines for illegally driving through it than any of the others in the city, with over £370,000 worth of fines paid.
Cambridgeshire County Council, which operates the bus gates, said people should pay attention to the road signs that tell them where the access restrictions are.
Bus gates ban access along some of the city’s roads to most vehicles, apart from local buses, licensed taxis whilst on duty (except for the Station Road bus gate), cyclists, and emergency vehicles.
Drivers who illegally go through one of these bus gates can face a £70 fine.
Cambridge currently has six streets with bus gates operational on them, including in Regent Street, Emmanuel Road, Bridge Street, Station Road, Silver Street, and Worts Causeway.
A Freedom of Information Request submitted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service found that in 2023 the county council received over £1m from fines issued to drivers who went through the city bus gates illegally.
This was down from the previous two years where the authority collected over £1.5million in fines each year.
Last year most fines were issued to drivers breaching the bus gate restrictions in Silver Street, with £370,570.57 being collected in total – £173,838 from the inbound bus gate and £196,732.57 from the outbound bus gate.
The lowest amount of fines were collected from the Worts Causeway bus gate, with £23,883.13 worth of fines collected last year.
The Worts Causeway bus gate is the only one in the city that currently does not restrict access 24 hours a day; the restrictions are only in place between 7.30am and 9.30am on Monday to Friday in order to give priority to buses in the morning.
The county council said drivers should be aware of the signs indicating where the bus gates are, and said the money it collects in fines is used to fund road maintenance.
A spokesperson for the county council said: “We are committed to supporting public transport in the city.
“Bus lanes are enforced to help keep bus journeys reliable, encourage more sustainable ways of travelling and keep traffic moving on the roads.
“We would like to remind drivers to observe all road signs while travelling and take note of the restrictions.
“Any money collected from bus gate fines is reserved for spending on highways projects and road maintenance schemes.”
Here is a full breakdown of the income the county council received from bus gate fines issued to drivers over the last three years:
2021 – £1,577,453.89
Bridge Street Inbound – £75,963.00
Bridge Street Outbound – £188,301.10
Emmanuel Road Inbound – £81,673.08
Emmanuel Road Outbound – £217,929.41
Mill Road Inbound – £87,905.46
Mill Road Outbound – £108,643.04
Regent Street Inbound – £157,133.54
Silver Street Inbound – £175,972.19
Silver Street Outbound – £234,633.91
Station Road Inbound – £219,734.16
Worts Causeway Inbound – £29,565.00
2022 – £1,539,031.17
Bridge Street Inbound – £105,873.18
Bridge Street Outbound – £252,416.44
Emmanuel Road Inbound – £98,698.00
Emmanuel Road Outbound – £198,070.05
Regent Street Inbound – £171,613.24
Silver Street Inbound – £251,889.67
Silver Street Outbound – £314,319.58
Station Road Inbound – £120,552.01
Worts Causeway Inbound – £25,599.00
2023 – £1,096,781.75
Bridge Street Inbound – £83,985.85
Bridge Street Outbound – £187,607.75
Emmanuel Road Inbound – £91,917.00
Emmanuel Road Outbound – £172,202.78
Regent Street Inbound – £166,614.67
Silver Street Inbound – £173,838.00
Silver Street Outbound – £196,732.57
Worts Causeway Inbound – £23,883.13