Swindon bus lane generates £479,000 in fines
Penzance Drive made up 76% of penalties in one year
More than £650,000 was paid out in fines by motorists who drove in bus lanes incorrectly in Swindon last year.
A Freedom of Information request to Swindon Borough Council has shown that a total of 23,784 penalty charge notices were issued between April 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022.
This includes more than 17,000 PCNs issued on Penzance Drive alone, earning the council almost half a million pounds in fines.
This is a long-running issue in the town, with reports that the Designer Outlet lane has generated £2.5 million for Swindon Borough Council over the past five years.
The council has previously said that there is “clear signage” on the approach to the approach to the Outlet Centre from Penzance that cameras are in action, and there is “ample opportunity” for drivers to turn around at the mini-roundabout at the Outlet’s west car park.
A further FOI request revealed that fines issued across seven different bus lanes came to a grand total of £650,045 in 2021/22.
Below are the locations, number of PCNs for that road, and the total fees paid.
- Penzance Drive, 17,094, £479,308
- Ferndale Road, 1,918, £41,560
- Mazurek Way, 1,250, £34,523
- Ermin Street, 1,199, £33,471
- Bristol Street, 933, £27,549
- Princes Street, 1,128, £26,912
- Upham Road, 262, £6,722
A Swindon Borough Council spokesman said: “The Penzance Drive bus gate is there to help improve bus journey times to and from West Swindon, it is not there to trap motorists. Any money received through the bus gate fines is spent on highways and transport-related projects.
“It is true that thousands of motorists are caught illegally driving into the junction each year, but that does not mean there is anything wrong with the signage or the bus gate itself.
“Millions of people visit Swindon Designer Outlet each year and the vast majority have no problem adhering to the regulations.
“There are more than a dozen signs in place on the approaches to the bus gate as well as highly visible road markings in the area which should act as a further deterrent to motorists.
“All the warning signs exceed the appropriate regulations for visibility and frequency. Any drivers who wish to challenge why they were ticketed can use the well-established and independent appeals process.”