NEARLY 10,000 motorists have been caught on camera illegally driving in bus lanes in Chester in just one year.

Camera technology was installed on four bus lanes in the city to automatically take photos of drivers illegally using the bus and cycle lanes on Wrexham Road, Hough Green, Chester Bus Interchange Access (off St Oswald’s Way) and Upper Northgate Street (off the Fountains roundabout).

In the first four weeks since the cameras were activated on August 19, 2019, a total of 2,193 drivers were caught out, and were all handed warning notices.

From September 16, 2019 onwards, however, people caught illegally using the bus lanes to try and beat the traffic were handed a £60 Penalty Charge Notice (PCN), reduced to £30 if it was paid within 14 days.

Since then, up until August 21, 2020, Cheshire West and Chester Council said a further 7,747 drivers were caught out and received PCNs in the post.

Of those, 1,830 were fined in the first four weeks.

That has meant the council has, assuming all those drivers who were fined paid up, received between £232,410 and £464,820 as a result.

When the scheme was launched last year, the council said it would use the revenue raised to reinvest in the highways network and transport schemes.

The number of those caught out could have been even higher over the past year, but the bus lane enforcement ceased during the coronavirus lockdown.

The council confirmed warning notices were issued again for a period of two weeks before live enforcement recommenced on August 4.

There were due to be further new trial bus lanes in Chester – the A51 Boughton and the A5116 Liverpool Road – before their introduction was 'paused' following a backlash from residents and motorists. It was not expected that those roads would have had ANPR cameras installed during their trial period.