A DRIVER fined for going in a bus lane has accused Swindon Borough Council of using it as a revenue stream.

Helen Turner was fined £30 for driving through the Penzance Drive bus gate, which has come in for criticism in recent years from drivers who say it is not clearly signposted.

She said: “It was not like I decided to drive down this road because I thought it was a short cut. I didn’t know I was driving down a bus lane.

“I was following the signs and the sat nav to get to the car park to spend some money in the Outlet Village and I’ve been hit with this fine.”

The council has come under fire before after a Freedom of Information request last May revealed the bus lane had netted it £1.5 million from 51,180 fines to drivers since the cameras came into effect in October 2014.

The most recent figures show more than 18,000 drivers were caught out by the bus lane in 2015 and 2016.

In 2017 the number of drivers accidentally going down the bus lane increased.

In total 20,673 were issued with fines, accruing at least £600,000 for Swindon Borough Council last year if every driver paid the minimum £30 fine.

“I looked online and I saw how many people are hammered by it and saw those figures about how many people were being issued with fines,” said Helen, who works as a teaching assistant in Gloucestershire and has two children.

“It’s around 20,000 people a year and it’s not getting any less. Look at that as a revenue stream, if everyone pays that £30 and doesn’t dispute it. Why are 20,000 people still, year in year out, making the same mistake I’ve made?

“The signage hasn’t changed. But why would they? If they’re getting such a wonderful revenue stream from it why would they change anything? It feels like it’s an intentional trap.

“I don’t get down to Swindon very often and based on what happened recently I doubt I’ll be coming back.”

A spokesperson for the council said: “At this location there are more than a dozen signs on the approach to the bus gate and highly visible road markings. All the signs exceed the appropriate regulations in terms of visibility and frequency.

“Sat navs are without doubt a great aid for drivers, but they should not be relied upon to the extent that motorists stop paying due care and attention to warning signs on the road.

“This bus gate was installed to help public transport work efficiently in an area which attracts millions of shoppers each year. It is not there to trap people. Any money received though bus gate fines is spent on highways and transport-related projects including public passenger transport services and Shopmobility.

“There is still time for the driver in the case to use the well-established and independent appeals process to challenge the fine if she wishes.”