A FATHER who was caught driving through the bus gate at Bishops Hull has issued a warning to others and claimed signing at the site needs to be improved.

Chris Harman, 25, was delivering recycling boxes across the Taunton area when he drove through the bus gates at Mountway Road earlier this year.

Chris, who has a ten-month-old baby boy called Ollie with his girlfriend April Pollard, said he lost his job following the incident and claims the signage at the bus gates is inadequate.

He added: “I am not surprised so many have been caught – I did not know there was a bus lane.

“I have lost my job because of it, it has put a huge strain of my relationship, paying the bills and looking after my new baby boy - it is about time something got sorted.

“It isn’t signposted until you hit the bus lane and when you are doing 30mph by the time you get there is it too late.

“If you get caught for a driving offence like speeding you know you have to pay the ticket but this does not feel like it is my fault and to lose my job over it is another thing.”

Thousands of motorists have been clocked driving through the bus gates at Bishops Hull and figures obtained by the County Gazette showed in one month between September 24 and October 23 last year, a staggering 1,318 drivers were caught.

April said she visited the junction after Chris was caught and said she would have made the same mistake.

She added: “I was not sure how to use it at all and there are no signs saying you are going into a bus lane. By the time you see the signs it is too late and you have been caught.”

A Somerset County Council spokesman said the bus gates are there to stop the routes becoming a “dangerous rat run”.

They added: “Thousands of drivers have received penalty notices for contravening the restrictions, driving through the designated bus gates. They are in place to provide a faster journey for commuters using the park and ride facilities.

“Despite the clear signage and media interest, many motorists continue to ignore the restrictions. We do not comment on individual cases but everyone issued with a ticket has the right to appeal.”