MORE than £1.2m has been made by Southampton City Council fining and prosecuting drivers for going into bus lanes.

The sum was levied on around 47,500 drivers in three years - with another 16,000 drivers fined in the financial year 2021/22.

It's not yet known how much was made by the council in prosecutions and fines in 2021/22.

The figures have prompted campaigners to say they hope for an improvement in drivers' behaviour.

Lyn Brayshaw, from Southampton Street Space, said: “In an ideal world there would be zero fines collected as drivers would follow the law, and we're always hoping for an improvement in driver behaviour, especially with the new Highway Code priorities.”

The cash raised from the fines is poured into maintaining the penalty scheme.

Any surplus is spent on improving the city's transport network.

Lyn wants more cash pumped into walking and cycling infrastructure in the city.

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She added: “As well as big projects that genuinely improve active travel, money is needed to spend on quick, cheaper fixes that make cycling and walking easier and safer."

The penalty for illegally using a bus lane in the city is £60.

But this could go up to £90 if it is not paid or challenged within 28 days.

A Freedom of Information request revealed a combined total of £1,273,713.09 in penalties was dished out by Southampton City Council.

This includes both PCNs and prosecutions for late payment.

The biggest year for fines was the 2018/19 financial year, with 21,548 issued to drivers.

This generated £555,273.23 revenue for the council.

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The following year saw the council hand out 17,016 fines - a decrease of 4,532 fines from the previous year – totalling £483,179.28.

The numbers continued to drop as only 9,032 motorists were slapped with a bus lane PCN in the financial year of 2020/21 during the pandemic.

This means £235,260.58 was made by the council in that year.

In 2021/22, as pandemic restrictions eased, a total of 16,271 bus lane PCNs were issued.

The council has said the money will be used to pay for the “installation, upkeep and running of the system.”

Any surplus income from fines will be reinvested in Local Transport Plan schemes to improve Southampton’s transport network.

Bus lane enforcement uses a digital camera system that records vehicles illegally making use of the city's bus lanes.

Mitigating circumstances, such as preventing an accident and being directed to use the lane by the police or a civil enforcement officer, are considered.

If the mitigating circumstances do not apply, the registered keeper of the vehicle will be issued with a penalty charge notice.

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