More than 140,000 fines have been issued in the space of 14 months as a result of the Bristol Bridge closure.
Figures obtained by BristolLive via a Freedom of Information request show that 141,045 fines have been issued since enforcement of the bus gate started in November 2020.
This means that, on average, more than 10,000 fines are being handed out a month as a result of the scheme - more than 300 a day.
READ MORE: Driver's Bristol Bus Gate fine quashed because warning signs 'inadequate'
The trial closure of the bridge and some nearby routes to most traffic was made permanent last July, with £1.6m raised in the nine months to July after 81,000 fines were handed out.
The latest figures - released this week by Bristol City Council - show that a total of 141,045 fines have now been issued, taking its total value to £3.4m.
This is the total value for PCN issued in the period, irrespective of whether they have been paid, appealed or not paid.
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The closure has banned general traffic from Bristol Bridge; Baldwin Street between St Augustine’s Parade and Marsh Street; Baldwin Street to High Street; and Union Street's left turn onto Rupert Street.
Buses, solo motorcycles, taxis and cycles are given priority under the order.
The camera on Victoria Street is the one to have issued the most penalty charge notices (PCNs), with 47,656 fines issued.
It is followed by the one on Baldwin Street with the High Street junction, which has handed out 41,892 PCNs.
The one on Baldwin Street with the Marsh Street junction has issued 26,268, while the one on Baldwin Street with Broad Quay has handed out 18,087.
On the other hand, the camera on Union Street to The Haymarket has issued the lowest number of fines (7,142).
The figures also show that, on average, more fines are now being issued per month than at the start of the bus gate enforcement, when the average was 9,000 fines a month.
Bristol City Council said in a statement: “Giving permanent priority to buses, cyclists and pedestrians over Bristol Bridge has reduced traffic in the central area of the city and improved bus punctuality and journey times, without causing significant problems elsewhere on the network.
"The changes are helping to improve air quality and making it easier for people to catch the bus, walk and cycle in the city centre.
“The scheme has been well publicised, and we have even installed larger signs in the area to make it even clearer for motorists that the bridge is closed to private vehicles.
"An initial period of soft enforcement, where we issued warnings rather than fines, was also designed to give motorists time to get used to the new restrictions. Fines are issued to vehicles that don’t comply with this.
“We continue to monitor the measures and will consider additional physical changes to help emphasise the new road layout, such as red road surfacing in the bus lanes.”
Last August, a woman who was given a ticket for driving through the new city centre bus gate had her fine quashed because the signs warning her about it weren’t good enough.
Following the adjudication by a fines tribunal, Bristol City Council painted more warnings on the road and created lanes telling drivers that they were not allowed to go through the Baldwin Street junction at the side of Bristol Bridge.
The measures were brought in at the start of August 2020, and were warned about with a mixture of semi-permanent and temporary signs, because it was a trial period.
The Penalty Charge for a bus lane contravention is £60, discounted by 50 per cent to £30 if paid within 14 days of issue.
Last July, BristolLive revealed the data from the council's "decision report", which showed 61 per cent of the 865 responses were in opposition to the scheme.
In the weeks after the trial came into force, 3,574 people signed a petition calling for the scheme to be reversed, citing the impact on local businesses. This triggered a counter-petition signed by 1,425 supporters of a "car-free healthy city centre".
Hamid Parast, who owned Centre Cafe Lounge on Baldwin Street, claimed the scheme caused difficulties for deliveries, citing this as one of the reasons for the cafe's closure.
But there has also been praise from Baldwin Street businesses.
Brewdog bar, Oowee takeaway and Five Grains cafe spoke about how the trial had created a more enjoyable environment for customers and made it easier for cyclists to deliver food from the street's businesses.
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