Sixty six motorists a day are still flouting driving bans in Oxford city centre - two months after enforcement cameras went live.

The arrangements are clearly baffling many drivers and even the Royal Mail was unclear whether it was now affected by the restrictions, which prohibit non-emergency vehicles using the thoroughfare between 7.30am and 6.30pm.

Royal Mail said deliveries to addresses covered by the ban were made on foot while it sought clarification.

Post bosses have now had it reconfirmed they are exempt from the ban, which if broken resulted in £30 fines - doubled if unpaid within a fortnight.

However, postmen are still barred from using Castle Street where one of four city centre cameras is located at so-called bus gates.

The others are located in the High Street, Magdalen Street (East and West) and George Street.

Royal Mail owed the county council money for "a handful" of fines incurred by postmen driving through the Castle Street bus gate since enforcement started earlier this year.

Postman Bob Cullen said: "There is no doubt we have had a number of fines, particularly in Castle Street because we were not told about the restrictions.

"There has been some confusion for which I blame the county council.

"If we were restricted from going down the High Street we would not be able to operate. It would not be a proper service."

From Monday, February 26, when the cameras went live, until Saturday, April 14 - a gap of 48 days - 3,190 vehicles were spotted breaching the restrictions.

That equates to 66 vehicles a day and a potential revenue-raiser for County Hall, which keeps the money, of £191,440.

Annually that would total between £727,700 and £1.5m a year depending on how many people paid £30 and how many paid £60.

County Hall said 521 fines had been paid so far, while 84 tickets were being disputed.

Royal Mail spokesman Richard Hall said: "We were trying to clarify whether the exemption applied to both delivery and collection, or just collection.

"Deliveries to addresses in the area covered by the traffic restrictions were made on foot, either carrying mail in traditional pouches or using high capacity trolleys.

"We have an exemption from the council allowing our vehicles to collect mail from businesses and posting boxes in the restricted area."

General traffic has been banned from High Street during the day since 1999 when the Oxford Transport Strategy was introduced.

But drivers got into the habit of ignoring the ban because a legal loophole meant no-one could be prosecuted using camera footage, and police spot checks were infrequent.

County council principal engineer John Cramer said: "The Royal Mail has had dispensation for the High Street bus gate since 1999 when the system came in to place.

"The only bus gate the Royal Mail does not have dispensation for is Castle Street.

"This is because there are no frontage properties on the restricted part of the street.

"Access into Magdalen Street East is allowed but vehicles must exit via Magdalen Street West - unless they have a delivery or collection in the restricted section of George Street."

He added: "If Royal Mail has any issues with any tickets issued we will review each case."

Have you been fined for breaching the Oxford city centre traffic regulations?

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