Bus gate nets more than £2.5m in first year

A controversial new bus-only section of Preston city centre has netted County Hall bosses more than £2.5m in its first year.

- by Ed Walker

Corporation Street bus gate was put in during April last year with the penalty notices starting to flow from June.

More than 80,000 penalty notices have been issued to motorists in the first 12 months for driving along the 60-metre stretch of road.

Even in May this year more than 4,000 drivers were being caught using the bus gate which runs for a matter of metres between the Marsh Lane turn and Heatley Street in both directions.

The bus gate saw a chaotic introduction, with traffic light sequencing leading to long delays for buses and at one point highways staff having to manually enforce the bus gate due to so many motorists ignoring the new rules.

Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show a total of £2.68m had been raised in fines by the county council up to June 16 this year.