Auckland bus lane fines down - but still $3m

The amount of fines given to drivers in bus lanes has decreased. Photo / Greg Bowker

Auckland Transport has issued $3 million in bus lane fines in the past year, a decrease from the highs during which the council was accused of revenue gathering.

The council-controlled organisation released the figures through January to the Herald last week, 15 weeks after a request for the information in November.

Parking enforcement manager Rick Bidgood attributed the decrease to greater understanding of the rules.

"It's a good thing and we are pleased with the result. The correct use of lanes means more efficient travel times for bus travellers to and from the city," he said. "The increased compliance of the lanes now reflects an understanding by the public of how they operate."

Bus lane fines first attracted attention in July 2010, when it was revealed motorists had been stung $4.2 million in fines in a year despite scant signage about where you could enter bus lanes for turning.

As readers flooded the Herald with complaints, councillor Mark Donnelly produced budget documents showing former Mayor John Banks and his council had instructed officers to hire more traffic wardens to raise an extra $12 million in fines over three years.

After the first article, the number of tickets issued dropped by almost half - from 3784 in July to 1924 in August.

But the numbers picked up again to almost 3000 in March 2011.

The Herald asked for updated figures in April, after which infringements fell to 1540 in June.

Ticket numbers stayed about the same level until November, at 1590, when the Herald approached Auckland Transport for a further update.

In the following two months, during the period it took Auckland Transport to compile the data, the number of tickets issued dropped by a third to 1021 and 940.

Mr Bidgood said December and January always had less traffic than other times of the year - and therefore fewer infringements.

The only change made to policing the bus lanes had been to "soften" the enforcement zone from 50m to 70m, allowing motorists more distance to complete lane movements and turns.