MOTORISTS ignoring a ban on traffic in Oxford's city centre are facing fines of more than £45,000 after just a week.

Traffic enforcement cameras - one of the first of their kind outside London and located in the High Street, Castle Street, Magdalen Street and George Street - caught about 760 drivers last week flouting the daytime driving restrictions There had been a month's grace period after the cameras were switched on with drivers sent warning letters. But last week Oxfordshire County Council started issuing £60 tickets - meaning a potential bill of £45,600.

Last night, the tally was labelled "staggering" by motoring organisation the AA.

The money will be kept by the authority and ploughed back into transport schemes.

Vehicles other than buses, taxis, private hire and cyclists are banned from driving along High Street, Oxford, between 7.30am and 6.30pm.

Paul Watters, the AA's head of roads and transport policy, said: "It's staggering and this is one of the first outside London that I have heard of.

"Something is wrong somewhere. There is a lot of misunderstanding about road signs and it could be some are doing it five days a week.

"Local authorities are now just enforcing 'moving' offences, but what worries me (in Oxford) is why there are so many offences.

"I can't understand why drivers would subject themselves to a fixed penalty."

The cameras were installed in 1999, but drivers ignored the ban because a loophole meant they could not be prosecuted using camera footage.

During the month-long grace period, 4,131 motorists were caught and all received written notification of their misdemeanour.

In common with parking fines, the £60 fines are reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days.

County council transport chief David Robertson added: "Oxfordshire County Council did not introduce fines to raise funds, it did so to deter people from going through the bus gates.

"It is paramount the bus gates are respected and I would prefer that to happen than for the council to receive money from fines."

Former Oxfordshire Chamber of Commerce president Keith Slater said: "People have been thoroughly warned, so these people have got into the habit of carrying on.

"Hopefully this kind of response will stop people doing it because it's about time the county council enforced the regulations brought in.

"People should have taken a bit more notice. The only way to tackle congestion is to ban traffic totally from city centres or bring in some kind of charging."

Transport for London issues about 5,500 £100 fines each day to people contravening the daily congestion charge in the capital.

Oxford Bus Company said it was too early to say whether "dramatic improvements" in bus punctuality was down to camera enforcement or the end of the High Street roadworks.

Stagecoach spokesman Chris Child said the cameras were allowing a "better flow of services".