Bus gates are raking it in

County Hall coffers have been swollen by £665,000 in just 12-months by fines paid by motorists who have flouted restrictions in the city's historic streets.

Since March last year, the authority has dished out almost 90 tickets a day.

Last night, the news sparked outrage from High Street traders, some of whom claimed takings were down by 40 per cent since enforcement started.

And experts said the enforcement was creating an anti-shopper image in Oxford.

In the 220 days the cameras operated between March 27, 2007 and April 8, County Hall, which operates the scheme and keeps the cash, issued 19,330 fines, working out at nearly £3,000-a-day, £123-an-hour - or £2-a-minute.

Aylin Muldur, who runs Bonjour coffee shop, in the High Street, said: "We've lost about 40 per cent of our trade since the bus gates were introduced.

"It's horrendous. We're losing money and the council is making money.

"There's no passing trade any more, people just aren't coming into Oxford.

"We have noticed a difference in the air quality - but we have noticed a difference in the takings."

A seven-day-a-week restriction bans all but emergency vehicles, buses and cabs from using the High Street between 7.30am and 6.30pm, George Street between 10am and 6pm and Castle Street and Magdalen Street 24-hours-a-day.

County Hall suspended use of cameras between September 30, 2007 and March 4 this year to address complaints about a lack of adequate warning signs.

But figures obtained by the Oxford Mail under the Freedom of Information Act appeared to show motorists were not getting the message.

Neriel Pearman, who runs Nothing jumpers and jewellery store, in the Covered Market, claimed trade was down by 25 per cent.

She said: "The gates affected trade badly when they were brought in and it has never really recovered.

"I have reps who come visit me and they say what a difficult place Oxford is to get to.

"The fines make you feel angry. It's as if they don't want people to come to Oxford."

Richard Alden, chairman of the Covered Market Traders' Association, said: "Without a doubt the bus gates are having an impact on shoppers.

"Some of the money that's been raised will be from drivers who didn't realise the rules here. It's becoming more difficult as a trader in Oxford.

"Oxford is a very difficult place to shop - Reading, Swindon, Cheltenham and Banbury are starting to make some inroads into our customers."

County councillor Ian Hudspeth, cabinet member for transport, said: "We had no expectations as to the amount of money raised as the bus gates are a method of enforcement to ensure the buses are able to run freely through the centre of Oxford."

Last summer, Oxford High Street Business Association found a "significant number" of traders had problems with deliveries because of the cameras.

Spokesman Graham Jones said: "Lots of delivery firms have had to reorganise their teams so some drivers do the east side of the city, while others take the west side to avoid a major detour along Donnington Bridge Road."

Sally-Ann Everett, of Frederick Tranter tobacconists, said: "We have had to start posting goods to people, but if they could come into the store they would browse and buy more."

David Marcus, managing director of Reginald Davis since 1973, said: "These gates have stopped people coming into Oxford.

"Oxford used to be regarded as one of the most beautiful high streets in the world - now it just looks like a bus park."

Robert Pewsey who has owned High Street Barbers for 26 years, said: "We have noticed our trade drop significantly."

Michelle Molyneux, of Northlight Design, added: "The gates make it difficult for people to come and pick up what they have purchased."

In October last year, the Oxford Mail revealed the extent to which drivers were blatantly flouting the bus gate ban.

Camera enforcement of the seven-day-a-week ban came into force in February last year, but Oxfordshire County Council insisted on a one month grace period to allow motorists to get used to the new scheme.

But a year on, little has changed.

With the cameras operational for 11 hours a day, seven-days-a-week - between 7.30am and 6.30pm - an average of 103 drivers a day were still being caught - one every six minutes.

Only one ticket has been successfully challenged and one ticket has been settled by the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, formerly the National Parking Adjudication Service.

Four tickets are currently being disputed.

Oxfordshire County Council said it has no plans to change or modify its bus gate scheme.