Edinburgh bus lane camera fines set to be cancelled

Thousands of traffic fines issued to drivers in Edinburgh are likely to be cancelled, it has emerged.

The move follows complaints from motorists after five cameras were installed to monitor bus lanes in the capital last month.

The volume of £60 fines issued since their introduction had been far higher than expected.

The council's transport leader has ordered an urgent review and two of the cameras have now been removed.

The cameras on Willowbrae Road, at Duddingston Crossroads and Jock's Lodge, were taken down at the weekend.

It followed complaints from residents who said they had received daily £60 fines for driving over the bus lane to access their homes.

It is understood the Willowbrae Road cameras caught more than 1,700 drivers in their first six days.

City council officials are expected to clarify the reasoning behind the removal of the cameras, and explain what will happen with the fines that have already been issued.

The other three bus lane cameras are expected to remain in operation.

The cameras were introduced on 23 April in a bid to ensure that only buses and black cabs used the green bus lanes, with offenders receiving an automatic £60 fine from the council.

More than 4,500 motorists were reported to have been caught in the first six days of all five cameras being operational across the city.

Among them was a female driver who complained she was fined £60 after being caught driving on the greenway at 07:29 and 57 seconds - three seconds before the cameras were supposed to be switched on.

It has also been revealed a private hire taxi driver clocked up £1,800 in fines after being caught 30 times in the space of a fortnight.