The number of bus lane penalty charge notices dished out by Merton Council has shot up by a staggering 172 percent, new analysis has revealed.

A total of 21,551 vehicle users were hit with the penalties – from April 2016 to March 2017 – which puts the authority third in south London.

However, this is a huge jump from the 9,388 which were given out in the same period the year before, the highest year-on-year increase in the capital.

Click4Reg managing director Elie Fakhoury said: “The sheer amount of bus lane penalty charge notices issued in London are certainly more than anyone would expect.

“With driving in the capital already problematic, largely due to the heavy congestion, it seems many drivers are using the bus lane to jump queues and minimise delays to their own trips.

“Whilst many knowingly do so, there are those who are not aware of the infringements they are committing until being fined.

“For such individuals, they should thoroughly educate themselves on bus lane rules, markings and signage.

“Additionally, take careful consideration before following the lead of other vehicles into bus lanes.”

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Click4Reg's infographic

Lambeth leads the way in London with an astonishing 44,148 penalty charge notices (PCNs) handed out, which is 15,000 more than second-place Kingston (28,984).

Meanwhile, Merton’s other neighbouring boroughs Richmond (4,524), Croydon (1,960) and Wandsworth (61) all comprise of the bottom five.

Click4Reg analysis also found 346,860 bus lane PCNs were issued by 26 London councils over 2016-17, an eight percent increase on the previous year.

A Merton Council spokeswoman said: "Merton's approach to motorists who break road traffic regulations is firm but fair and we are completely transparent about where enforcement measures are in place with all of our bus lanes clearly marked with the appropriate road markings and signs, detailing the days and times at which they are in operation, as well as signs indicating that camera enforcement with automatic name plate recognition takes place at these locations.

"We have also published their locations on our website. Within our borough, traffic congestion is one of the major concerns of local residents and through taking rigorous action we can keep the borough moving and help ensure our bus lanes are not impeded along with speeding up journey times.

"For any car user who feels they have been unfairly issued with a ticket, there is also a full appeal mechanism available to them on any penalty charge issued.

"Any surplus income generated also helps pay towards freedom passes which enables over 20,000 Merton residents to travel free on public transport."

The figures were derived from London Councils' annual PCN reports for both 2015-16 and 2016-17.

Bexley, City of London, Greenwich, Kensington & Chelsea, Redbridge, Sutton, and Westminster were all omitted because none of them enforce particular bus lanes in their boroughs.

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