Around a third of the 1,200 or so fines dished out to drivers caught by a new camera in Watford town centre were quashed.

An automatic number plate recognition camera was installed in High Street in May to deter prohibited vehicles using a section of the street.

In June alone, around 1,200 fines were handed out after drivers illegally passed through the bus gate situated at the junction with King Street.

However, Watford Borough Council has now confirmed that 409 of those were later quashed because they were vehicles that are allowed through the bus gate but had not yet registered for access.

The rest of the drivers did not have their £70 fines reversed.

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Watford Observer: High Street leading up to the 'bus gate' camera. Image: Watford Borough CouncilHigh Street leading up to the 'bus gate' camera. Image: Watford Borough Council (Image: Watford Borough Council)

The council says moped riders, motorcyclists, and car drivers are among those to have received fines, with only buses, taxis, bicycles and loading vehicles allowed to use High Street between King Street and Market Street.

Watford mayor Peter Taylor said: “The bus-gate was brought in to reduce the amount of traffic accessing the High Street and make the town centre a safer, less polluted and more pleasant environment for visitors and shoppers. It is important that if vehicles are not meant to be on the high street they receive fines.”

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A spokesperson for the council added: “The vehicles receiving a fine over this period were a mix of motorbikes, mopeds and cars that were not permitted to cross the bus gate.

“There were also a small number of delivery vehicles, buses and taxis that would have been exempt but had not registered for authorised access.

“These vehicles had their fines reversed and were added to the permitted registration list.”

The council said it expects the number of fines to reduce as people become used to the new restrictions; however there is no publicly available data for the number of fines issued since July.

Drivers who receive a ticket are fined £70 which is reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days.

The council says income from fines pays the cost of the enforcement, which includes staffing, maintenance of signs and lines and other associated costs. Any leftover cash will go towards making road-related or public transport improvements.

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