Drivers have paid more than £54,000 in fines to Wiltshire Council for unlawfully using Semington’s bus gate to access Semington village.
Since the installation of an automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) camera last year, 1,563 fines have been issued at £35 each, totalling £54,705.
The camera was installed by Wiltshire Council at the request of Semington Parish Council, in consultation with Melksham Without Parish Council, following reports of drivers regularly ignoring the restrictions and using the gate as a cut-through.
The two parish councils had agreed to cover the ongoing running costs of the camera – estimated at £2,000 from next year. However, in light of the income generated from fines, both parish councils now argue that the revenue should be used to cover these costs.
Teresa Strange, clerk of Melksham Without Parish Council, said, “That money goes to Wiltshire Council, but from Melksham Without’s point of view and that of Semington Parish Council, we will be arguing next year that we don’t want to contribute to the running costs because it should be being covered by the fines.”
When asked what the income from fines is being used for, Wiltshire Council’s director of highways and transport, Sam Howell, said, “Money raised by fines for improper use of bus gates is invested back into transport services such as bus provision.”
The bus gate was introduced in 2004 following the construction of the A350 Semington bypass. It is designed to prevent through traffic from using the old route through Semington village, while still allowing access for buses.
Pictured: Semington bus gate
