DRIVERS disregarding bus gates in Taunton have forked out over £100,000 so far this year in fines.

A freedom of information act by the County Gazette has shown that from January until October this year, 4,475 drivers had been fined £112,627 for driving through bus gates at Ilminster Road and Mountway Road.

The figures look set to be on par with last year when 5,810 drivers were fined a total of £161,340.58.

Somerset County Council say the bus gates are in place in areas where locals campaigned for years against local rat runs, and to provide faster journeys for commuters using the park and ride.

But not all are happy with how the bus gates are operated.

One couple who live near the bus lane in Mountway Road, where 2,101 drivers have been fined so far this year, say they have been unhappy with the bus gates for a long time.

The couple, who wished to wished to remain anonymous, added that they have asked the council to amend the order or have something put in place so that residents can use the bus lane.

They said: "We have been very unhappy with the bus gates for a very long time and have written to the council, been to meetings and yet nothing has changed.

"It has impacted our lives in a lot of ways, especially when we have family come to stay because you can only park outside for two hours.

"Having to use Wellington Road to get out of the street can be awful as well because its not a quiet road and it can really add on to our journey time.

"We feel the county council should do something such as create a list with the number plates of cars who live on Mountway Road so that we can use the bus lanes.

"We feel like the county council has lied to us and ignored us."

Lee Kukor-Morgan, who also lives on Mountway Road but before the bus gates said they see a lot of people driving through the gates.

He added: "My children will wave up and down at them to let them know and then you also see people who go through it, realise what they've done and go back through them, which means they get fined again.

"I think for a lot of people its their satnavs directing them to go that way and if you're not local to the area you don't know not to go this way.

"It does seem unfair that the people who live the other side of the bus gates can't get through, I don't know why they can't let them use it when the buses don't run."

Justine Clayton, county councillor for Bishops Hull and Taunton West where the Mountway Road Bus Gate is, said signage needs to be looked at again.

"There should be a way for residents to get to their homes without having to go on Wellington Road," she said.

"The fact that there is still a large number of people driving through the bus lanes shows that perhaps signage needs to be looked at again and perhaps more signs or clearer signs need putting in.

"It is a good way for the council to make money, but something needs to be done for residents and their visitors who are often the ones getting caught."

The worst offenders so far this year and last year are people driving through the bus gates at Ilminster Road.

So far this year, over 2,370 people have been caught driving through the bus gates there, with fines totally over £58,000.

Last year, 3,453 people were caught driving through Ilminster Road, bringing in fines of over £93,000.

Robert Holmes, general manager at the Holiday Inn in Taunton, said he used to have at least one complaint a week from guests who had been fined for driving through the bus gates at Ilminster Road.

He said: "We still get the odd complaint now and then but not as many as we used to.

"We spoke to the then MP Jeremy Browne a few years ago about getting better signage which has happened so I think that helps.

"But I think the main problem is sat navs, the bus gates have been here for years yet a lot of sat navs still blindly direct people down that road."

A spokesman for Somerset County Council said: “The bus gates are in place in areas where locals campaigned for many years against local rat runs.

"They wanted us to take action, and we also wanted to provide a faster journey for commuters using the park and ride facilities.

“Despite clear warning signs, as well as extensive media interest in the bus gates, many motorists continue to ignore the restrictions, breaking the rules and receiving a fine.

“We want to reiterate we do not make any profit from these fines. It all goes towards running the parking service and is also reinvested in traffic management helping to keep Somerset moving.”

And its not the end of the saga for drivers in Taunton as there are also proposals for bus gates to be installed in Monkton Heathfield, linked to the new roads.

A spokesman for Somerset County Council said: “The bus gates were secured via planning permission and a legal agreement in 2008 and will be located on the A38 and A3259, although their design has not yet been finalised.

"The bus gates are required to reduce the levels of traffic in the village of Monkton Heathfield by making traffic use the new road layout.”