Rubbish collectors also swell city coffers

An Auckland City Council employee with a video camera, used to record the illegal use of bus lanes. Photo / Paul Estcourt

Not even providers of some of the most basic city services are being offered leniency under Auckland's bus lane enforcement regime.

Among tens of thousands of vehicles caught in bus lanes on city council video cameras in the past year was a 10-tonne rubbish collection truck whose driver received two infringement notices carrying $150 fines in the same number of days.

When Rubbish Direct co-owner Mark Smith wrote to the council asking for more details, he was told his driver was clocked in a 57-metre enforcement zone in Symonds St in April, along the stretch between Mount St and St Pauls St.

That covers an area just seven metres longer than a 50m tolerance zone through which government regulations allow general traffic to use a bus lane to make left turns.

Mr Smith, whose company collects rubbish from inner-city buildings including along Symonds St, said yesterday that the short length of the bus lane in question required "a bit of a tight judgment call" by drivers jostling in traffic.

"It got to the stage that they weren't being very lenient so I just ended up paying the tickets because [otherwise] it costs you more time and money."

He said that, had he known what a hot topic the issue of bus lane enforcement was to become, he probably should have persevered in challenging the tickets.

"What a fair and understanding council we have." A council spokesperson was unable to discuss Mr Smith's complaint last night because details were unavailable.