It seems there is a new level of council tax in Bath and one paid exclusively by motorists. A camera focussed on cars entering a bus lane in the centre of the city is generating tens of thousands of pounds every month. In 2008/09, the camera at the bus gate in Northgate Street caught 3,596 vehicles over the entire 12 months. This year, however, the same camera has caught nearly 2,000 drivers in just one month this summer. That’s a total of between £60,000 to £120,000 in just one month from just one camera (depending if drivers cough up £30 within 14 days or wait to be fined £60).
Obviously, there is now a strong incentive for the cost-cutting council to keep this particular driving trap going for as long as possible, but locals are getting increasingly fed-up with the poor signage used to indicate this particular camera. Surely, the purpose of the council’s camera is to discourage people from entering the bus lane? But they seem happy for the racket to continue. Drivers, however, are also concerned at the safety implication of having to quickly change lanes or slam on the breaks as they discover too late the financial peril awaiting them...
Tim Newark, Bath TaxPayers’ Alliance
It seems there is a new level of council tax in Bath and one paid exclusively by motorists. A camera focussed on cars entering a bus lane in the centre of the city is generating tens of thousands of pounds every month. In 2008/09, the camera at the bus gate in Northgate Street caught 3,596 vehicles over the entire 12 months. This year, however, the same camera has caught nearly 2,000 drivers in just one month this summer. That’s a total of between £60,000 to £120,000 in just one month from just one camera (depending if drivers cough up £30 within 14 days or wait to be fined £60).
Obviously, there is now a strong incentive for the cost-cutting council to keep this particular driving trap going for as long as possible, but locals are getting increasingly fed-up with the poor signage used to indicate this particular camera. Surely, the purpose of the council’s camera is to discourage people from entering the bus lane? But they seem happy for the racket to continue. Drivers, however, are also concerned at the safety implication of having to quickly change lanes or slam on the breaks as they discover too late the financial peril awaiting them...
Tim Newark, Bath TaxPayers’ Alliance