Councils fined motorists at least £30m last year for straying into bus lanes, according to new figures.
A freedom of information request conducted by The Times revealed that councils across the country have been using new powers to keep bus routes free of cars.
The investigation showed that in 2014, councils issued motorists with one million penalties compared to 321,000 in 2010.
According to the figures, Glasgow City Council issued the largest number of fines at 131,238 – it had issued none in 2010. Birmingham issued 73,534 penalty notices, Manchester issued 77,240 and Leeds reported 64,758 fines.
A spokesman for the Local Government Association said: ‘Bus services are vital if our high streets are to regain their former prosperity.’
Sixteen of the 50 councils who provided information to the paper said they had started enforcing bus lanes within the past five years.
