More than 30,000 fined for driving in Belfast bus lanes

The figures revealed this week by the Department for Regional Development (DRD), which handles transport policy in the Province, suggest that the total earned from the fines looks set to be at least £1.37m – and could be far more.

The figures were unearthed on Tuesday following an inquiry by the News Letter.

Motorists receive £90 fines for driving in the red bus lanes in Belfast.

If paid within 14 days – which happens in most cases – the fines drop to £45.

From June 22 (when cameras which monitor the bus lanes began issuing penalty notices) up until Tuesday this week, 30,515 fines were issued in the city.

Of these, 22,763 had already been paid, while others were outstanding or were being appealed.

Assuming all 30,000-plus fines are paid, and that all motorists pay the discounted rate of £45, this would make a total of £1,373,175.

However, many drivers will end up paying the full rate of £90, meaning the figure could well be higher.

Meanwhile, this week the manager of one of Northern Ireland’s most prominent hotels welcomed the fact that one of the Belfast bus lanes will be redesigned so that its customers avoid the fines.

James McGinn, manager of the four-star Europa Hotel on Belfast’s Great Victoria Street, said the fact that one of the bus lanes had been laid directly in front of their entrance had been a source of “a great amount of frustration”.

It means many people who turn left in order to stop at the front of the hotel end up cutting across the bus lane in the process, incurring fines.

From June 22 until December 11, there were 4,934 fines issued on Great Victoria Street alone.

This bus lane will now to be shortened by 25m (82ft), which is expected to take it away from the hotel entrance.

“Certainly at the beginning it caused a great amount of frustration for our guests, particularly for those that would be unfamiliar with Belfast and the roads system,” he said.

“I don’t think at the time, consideration was given to the guest, and to the level of guest visits we have.

“However, we’re delighted it will change in the future.”

It had been “quite a hardship” in the initial stages, and while he does not believe it necessarily cost his hotel business, he thinks that it did leave some visitors “with a very bitter taste”.

The DRD said its “minor adjustment” in shortening the bus lane would aid “overall traffic management at this location”, and suggested that they could be made within a period of weeks.

The lanes are designed to speed up the flow of buses through the city centre, but can also be used by black taxis, emergency vehicles, motorcycles and bicycles.

In June 2015, the DRD told the News Letter: “Any surplus money from enforcing bus lanes will be reinvested into the provision of public transport.

“We would urge people to obey the rules of bus lanes in order to avoid getting a penalty.

“The reason for introducing camera enforcement of bus lanes is to deter people from driving in them.

“It is expected that the number of contraventions will be higher initially but the experience from other cities across the UK is that the level of contraventions will reduce as driver behaviour changes and fewer people drive in bus lanes.”