A bus gate on Corporation Street in Preston, Lancashire, is Britain's 'most lucrative' bus lane, raking in £4,200 a day from drivers. It issues 47,176 penalties a year, 13,000 more than any other in the country, swelling council coffers by £1,545,816 yearly. Drivers who use the 96-metre stretch face a £35 fine, rising to £105 if not paid within 21 days.
Residents who have collectively paid over £1m say it is 'a cash cow for the council'. ' The local authority insists all revenue is spent on road maintenance and safety improvements, though specific improvements are unknown. The bus gate, implemented in May 2024, bans most vehicles except authorised buses, taxis, and cycles, monitored by two cameras.
They're raking in thousands a week from people who haven't got a clue. I've never been caught out myself but I moan about it enough, I might as well have done.
To avoid fines, motorists must take a detour. The road does not change width or direction to signal the bus gate, catching out drivers new to the area, according to Anne Fisher, a volunteer at St Catherine's Hospice shop. ' A council spokesman said the gate was introduced to improve bus reliability, with positive feedback from operators.
However, Liberal Democrat councillor Mark Jewell argued it should be scrapped because its location isn't intuitive and it is 'very easy' for people to get caught out. 3m.
You can't come into the city centre directly anymore so it's simply putting people off coming in and out of Preston at all. All it's done is turn the back streets into a rat run.