How much does a bus lane fine cost? Here's how much Portsmouth motorists are paying for driving in bus lanes

In 2019, Portsmouth City Council received £521,839 in bus lane fines, according to an FoI request submitted by Confused.com.

Across the UK, £59.6m was paid out by motorists for the year.

Drivers in Manchester were the worst hit, paying an eye-watering £4.8m in fines.

Confused.com’s car insurance expert Alex Kindred believes clearer signs should be put in place by local authorities, reminding motorists that only authorised vehicles can drive in bus lanes.

Alex said: ‘Nearly £60m issued in bus lane fines in 2019 is testament to the fact that bus lanes may be one of the most confusing challenges motorists face on UK roads.

‘Clearly drivers want change to avoid receiving a fine for a genuine mistake. It’s only right that some of the money from PCNs is invested back into solutions, such as clearer signage and exemptions for first-time offenders.’

Confused.com advocates for motorists challenging the fine if they believe it was issued unfairly, and has even started unveiling advertisements that remind people to steer clear.

Last year, prime minister Boris Johnson proposed that first-time bus lane offenders should avoid fines and be given the benefit of the doubt.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

You can subscribe here for unlimited access to Portsmouth news online - as well as fewer adverts, access to our digital edition and mobile app.

Our trial offer starts at just £2 a month for the first two months.