Oxfordshire politicians have reacted to the bus lane fines over the past three years, which have totalled £4.7m.
It was revealed this week that Oxfordshire County Council has made £4,766,057 across the county in the last three years.
New figures showed that the council issued 203,858 bus lane Penalty Charge Notices between January 2023 and December 2025.
A Freedom of Information request by Cinch found that a total of 55,515 Penalty Charge Notices were issued in 2023, generating £1,556,630.24 in revenue.
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There was then an increase in Penalty Charge Notices issued in 2024, with the overall number rising to 74,631, but the revenue generated was a lower total of £1,375,002.30.
In 2025, there were 72,712 Penalty Charge Notices issued, while the revenue generated rose to its highest at £1,834,424.75.
The data also highlighted that the biggest enforcement hotspot was Oxford's High Street, which had 82,301 penalties issued.
Reacting to this, several Oxford politicians have had their say on the figures, largely welcoming the role that bus lanes and the subsequent fines play.
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Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, Layla Moran, said: "Bus lanes are rightly there to improve congestion and bus reliability, not to generate revenue.
"I'm therefore pleased to see that the number of penalty charge notices issued decreased from 2024 to 2025.
"I will always look to work with the County Council to improve signage for bus lanes, though, and make it as clear as possible, and so motorists can avoid going through bus gates by mistake."
Susanna Pressel, Labour city councillor for Osney and St Thomas Ward, said: "This is a lot of money, but I’m sure it will be well spent on improvements to public transport.
"It is, of course, essential to enforce the rules on bus lanes, because the council has to make sure the buses can keep moving through our congested streets.
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"Oxford has an excellent bus service, with new routes being added, but if you are in a hurry, there are few things more infuriating than being on a bus that is stuck in a traffic jam.
"I suspect that a lot of the people who are being caught out with fines are tourists, or people following poor quality satnavs. I suppose it can be hard to look at the signage when there is so much else to look at."
Emily Kerr, Green Party city councillor for St Mary's, said: "Drivers who don’t want to be fined just need to remember to drive legally.
"It has been illegal to drive a private car through the High Street in peak time for many decades, and there are multiple road signs.
"Every private car journey adds road danger, pollution, and congestion to Oxford's medieval streets, and we need to continue to prioritise making buses work, which requires functional bus lanes."
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