Glasgow drivers caught on CCTV pay more fines than any other UK area

Drivers in Glasgow have paid more in fines this year for traffic offences caught on CCTV than in any other UK council area.

The £4m total is 11% of the UK figure and takes the amount raised by Glasgow City Council since 2013 to £11m.

There were 131,238 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) issued in Glasgow in 2015 - the highest number in the UK.

The figures are contained in Freedom of Information (FOI) data obtained by the Confused.com website.

Glasgow City Council currently has 15 CCTV cameras in operation to track traffic offences.

Offences caught on camera included driving in bus lanes, driving through no entry areas, stopping in yellow box junctions, going the wrong way on a one-way street and committing illegal U-turns.

Since 2012, the number of UK councils using CCTV to monitor motoring offences has risen by 76% to 44. There are currently 768 active CCTV cameras being used by local authorities.

So far in 2015, UK motorists have been fined £36,802,955, with 977,969 PCNs issued.

Matt Lloyd, head of motor insurance at Confused.com, said the amount of money raised in fines by Glasgow City Council was "staggering".

He added: "CCTV has always been a bone of contention for many people, as people feel their privacy has been invaded.

"However, the main reason why councils are using these cameras is to stop motorists breaking the law.

"By making drivers abide by the rules of the road, our roads should become a more stress-free and safer place to drive on.

"The point we would like to make is maybe some of this revenue which is being generated could be put back into an awareness campaign so we can improve road safety."

Bailie Elaine McDougall, Glasgow City Council's executive member for transport, environment and sustainability, said the number of people illegally using bus lanes has steadily decreased since the introduction of enforcement cameras in 2012.

She added: "This shows that drivers in our city are changing their behaviour and that public transport is getting priority on some of the key routes into and across the city.

"Camera enforcement has been an effective deterrent however driving in bus lanes has always been an offence for anyone other than authorised vehicles and if a driver is found to be illegally driving in a bus lane a charge will be issued."