£1.1m collected from Edinburgh bus lane fines in first six months of 2026

Data obtained via Freedom of Information (FOI) requests showed the City of Edinburgh Council generated £1,186,458 between January and June 2026 from penalty charges.

Conservative group leader Iain Whyte heavily criticised the figures, which stemmed from 28,897 penalty charge notices (PCNs) issued over the six-month period.

Mr Whyte said: "It sounds like an awful lot of money and a bit of a racket in terms of what they're taking from drivers."

He also warned that an upcoming trial of '7-7-7' bus lanes—operating from 7am to 7pm, seven days a week—could lead to further confusion and an increase in fines if other lanes remain on peak-hour restrictions.

"My fear is if they start a 7-7-7 trial while all the other bus lanes are on fixed hours in the peaks, the confusion that will cause will just create more fines for people who won't even realise they have infringed the rules," he said.

Mr Whyte added that it would be useful to know whether the fines were being issued to repeat offenders flouting the rules or motorists making one-off mistakes.

The revenue figures, sourced by MoneySuperMarket, rank Edinburgh as the ninth highest city in the UK for bus lane fines during the first half of the year. It places second in Scotland behind Glasgow City Council, which collected £1,699,474.

Motorists caught incorrectly using bus lanes or gates face a fine of up to £100, which is reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days.

Alicia Hempsted, a car insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket, said keeping bus lanes clear is important for infrastructure, but acknowledged that navigating unfamiliar streets can prove costly.

She said: “Bus lanes and gates are an important part of our road infrastructure, so it’s important to keep them clear of cars and allow them to flow freely, particularly during busy periods. However, for many drivers, a brief lapse of attention or navigating an unfamiliar street can have expensive consequences.

“PCNs are civil penalties, rather than criminal notices, so unlike offences for speeding or drink-driving, they won’t have any impact on your car insurance. If you do receive a PCN for a bus lane or gate infringement, you should try to address it as soon as possible as fines are often reduced by 50 per cent if they’re settled within 14 to 21 days, though this does vary between locations.

“You should always review the details of the PCN carefully before paying it to confirm they are correct. You can dispute a PCN by contacting the issuing council or TfL, which you should do as soon as possible if you feel it’s incorrect.

“However, if you fail to pay a PCN within the given time period, these can be escalated to a County Court judgment or bailiff action, which could show up on credit checks in the future.”

The City of Edinburgh Council has been contacted for comment.