Thousands of drivers caught out by Brighton and Hove 'bus gates'

Fewer drivers are passing though “bus gates” that were created four years ago but thousands are still ignoring or missing the blue signs on the A23 in the heart of Brighton.

Cameras in Marlborough Place, St George’s Place, York Place and St Peter’s Place film drivers driving along the western side of Valley Gardens – a stretch reserved for buses, taxis and local traffic.

Brighton and Hove City Council’s response to a “freedom of information request” by the Local Democracy Reporting Service said that 29,805 drivers passed through the four bus gates last year, down by a quarter from 41,707 in 2023.

The figures are a significant drop from previous years and work out at almost 82 a day.

If most cars pass through during a 10-hour working day, the figures would work out as more than one every eight minutes.

In 2021, the first year of operation, a driver was fined roughly every two minutes, dropping to every three minutes in 2022 and every six minutes in 2023.

The month with the highest number of fines last year was December, with a total of 3,630.

In Marlborough Place, 2,383 cars passed through the bus gate in December. The camera there caught the most drivers out of the four sites throughout the year.

York Place, which previously had the highest number of drivers going through the bus gate, recorded the second highest number, having hit a high of 6,486 drivers going through the gate in June 2023.

January last year was the record month for York Place in 2024 when 1,433 drivers went through the bus gate rather than turned up Trafalgar Street.

Labour councillor Trevor Muten, the council’s cabinet member for transport and parking, said that fewer fines were issued last year.

In previous years fines topped £2 million.

Councillor Muten said: “These bus gates were put in place to help improve traffic flow, safety and bus services – and the signage is compliant with national guidance.

“There is also additional signage in place to give drivers more advanced warning and, after listening to feedback, we have reviewed all the signage both within the bus gates and approaching the bus gates.

“The number of motorists receiving fines has reduced significantly. For example, in December 2024 there were nearly 3,000 less fixed penalty notices issued than in December 2023.

“Our signs are well placed to inform drivers about the bus gate and they can take reasonable steps to avoid entering these lanes.

“Those who are fined can, of course, appeal. Bus gates improve safety and help bus passengers be on time.”