Sheffield traffic: City council rakes in £5m from 15 bus lanes
Almost 30,000 motorists were fined the maximum amount after failing to pay in time
Sheffield Council raked in up to £5.03m in bus lane fines in the last year.
The authority issued 118,953 penalties in the 12 months to April 5 - the second highest out of all UK metropolitan councils.
The new bus gate on Arundel Gate snared the highest number of motorists, triggering 65,946 Penalty Charge Notices. Installed in March 2023, it bans all traffic except buses, taxis and private hire cars from driving north towards High Street beyond the Novotel hotel.
After a row over the thousands of fines issued, the authority plans to install a roundabout to make it easier for motorists to turn around.
The second busiest site was the bus gate on Middlewood Road, in Hillsborough, where 10,056 fines were issued in the last year.
A bus lane on Blonk Street, Wicker, triggered 9,711 fines in the same period and was third.
The figures are from Personal Injury Claims UK which submitted Freedom of Information requests to councils across the country.
It says drivers can pay £30 in the first 14 days. After that the fine rises to £60, until after 28 days it climbs to £90.
The research found the minimum amount raised was £3.6m. But 24,368 drivers failed to pay within 28 days and likely paid a £90 fine, increasing the total to £5.03m.
It also revealed Sheffield was second only to Manchester City Council which issued 227,196 bus lane fines in the year to April. Birmingham was third with 84,474 fines, 34,479 fewer than Sheffield.
The top 15 bus lane fine hotspots in Sheffield:
Arundel Gate - 65,946
Middlewood Road bus gate - 10,056
Blonk Street bus lane - 9,711
Furnival Gate bus lane - 6,980
Cavendish Street bus lane - 5,499
Langsett Road nr Ripley Street bus gate - 5,306
Wicker nr Stanley Street bus lane - 4,437
London Road bus gate - 2,495
Ecclesall Road bus lane near Neill Road - 2,113
Broad Street bus Lane - 1,461
Holme Lane bus lane - 1,378
South Lane bus gate - 1,228
Boston Street bus lane - 1,185
Mansfield Road bus lane - 593
Granville Road bus lane - 565
In March, the city council said money raised from Arundel Gate was "restricted in legislation."
It added: “Any surplus from its operation contributes towards highway maintenance and will in the 24/25 financial year provide additional funding for the public transport levy."