More than 200,000 drivers have been fined for driving in bus lanes across Essex.
The penalties were issued over a three-year period and have generated more than £7.3m in revenue for the county council.
The figures, released by Essex County Council following a Freedom of Information request from online car retailer cinch, show that between January 2023 and December 2025, a total of 228,519 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) were issued for bus lane violations.
Revenue from these fines reached £7,351,289.
A spokesperson for Essex Highways said: "Bus lanes are necessary to improve the journeys and travel time of buses, and by encouraging the people of Essex to use this important transport, we can strive towards a Safer, Greener, Healthier Essex.
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"Bus lanes are about compliance rather than income and success would be to issue no fines at all.
"This would mean our preventative measures are working.
"All money generated by PCNs is reinvested to help improve public transport, roads and the transport network across Essex."
Duke Street in Chelmsford and Southernhay East were identified as the top locations for PCNs.
Annual figures show that 81,762 PCNs were issued in 2023, generating £2,797,126; 77,259 in 2024, totalling £2,357,799; and 69,501 in 2025, amounting to £2,196,264.
Motoring expert Ben Welham, from cinch, said: "Bus lanes are designed to keep traffic moving in busy city centres, but they can easily catch drivers out if they’re unfamiliar with the road layout or miss signage.
"Motorists can often accidentally enter a bus lane when following sat nav directions or when traffic suddenly merges near junctions.
"The safest approach is to always keep an eye out for road markings and time restrictions, especially in city centres where bus lanes may only operate at certain times of day."
The number of people that paid their fine early each year: 65,122 in 2023, 58,753 in 2024, and 53,608 in 2025.
Of the 380 appeals submitted during the three-year period, only 85 PCNs were upheld.
View the study by cinch on their website: https://www.cinch.co.uk/news/bus-lane-fines-crackdown
