THE number of people who drove through Oxford’s bus lanes and bus gates has increased for another year, statistics show.

Oxfordshire County Council said 29,461 penalty notices were issued to people throughout the 2018/19 financial year – up by more than 2,000 on the year before.

It refused to say how much to say how much money the penalty notices brought into the council, although a large chunk of that will have been spent on admin fees.

According to figures obtained through a freedom of information request, 12 per cent of all the fines handed out were not paid after drivers appealed them and the council accepted their explanations.

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There are currently four bus gates in the city centre. Bus lanes run along many major roads, including Botley Road and Banbury Road.

The fines, officially called penalty charge notices (PCNs), are first charged at £60 but they are cut to £30 if they are paid within 14 days.

Just buses, bikes, private hire vehicles, taxis and emergency vehicles are allowed to travel in bus lanes.

The rules for Oxford's bus gates vary according to location.

Last year, the council said it brought in a total of £288,000 fining errant motorists who drove in the bus lanes or through bus gates at prohibited times.

It said it was paid £711,000 initially but that a large chunk of that was lost in administration fees throughout 2018/19.

In 2017/18, the council fined 27,200 people who it caught driving through bus lanes and gates, which was again an increase of 860 motorists from 2016/17.

In High Street, only buses, taxis or private hire vehicles and emergency vehicles are allowed between 7.30am and 6.30pm. Any vehicle is allowed to use it outside those times.

Just buses and emergency vehicles are allowed to use Castle Street throughout the day; only buses and taxis can use George Street between 10am and 6pm.

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There is access for loading allowed between 6pm and 10am in George Street.

Buses and taxis are the only vehicles allowed to use Magdalen Street throughout the day.

Emergency service vehicles that are exempt are fire, police or ambulance vehicles on an emergency call, or police vehicles that are on patrol.

The money collected is spent paying administrative costs of the enforcement and employing its contractor, NSL Services.

Any money left over is spent on transport in the city, including the county council’s park and rides.

The council said it would not say how much it brought in through fines in 2018/19.

A report with the information will be released later this month.