THE number of fines issued to motorists for unlawfully driving through bus lanes has fallen across Essex.

But in Basildon and Colchester there has been an increase in fines over the past year.

Altogether in 2023 there were almost 95,000 breaches of bus gate rules. That was down from around 136,000 the year before.

There were some notable falls in the number of fines including at Duke Street in Chelmsford where the number fell from around 21,000 in 2022 to 15,800 in 2023 and at Southernhay East, near Basildon bus station, which saw a decrease from 49,043 to 16,527.

There were some increases though including at Hythe Station Road (East), Colchester where there were 6,313 in 2023 from 5,786 in 2022. Hythe Hill, Colchester High Street, saw an increase from 4,794 to 5,816.

The county council said: "As the county's population and economy grows, traffic levels are increasing too. Regrettably, this means that levels of bus lane contraventions are also increasing.

"This has an impact on bus punctuality and leads to less reliable bus journey times, as well as more risks to pedestrian safety.

"More broadly, keeping bus lanes free for their intended use will support the promotion of sustainable modes of transport, making bus travel more attractive and helping to reduce congestion in the areas where bus lanes are located."