The camera has been catching out motorists turning left from Karangahape Road onto Howe Street. Photo: Stuff / Ricky Wilson
Auckland Transport has been raking in over $100,000 a week from a CCTV camera installed at the end of a bus lane on Karangahape Road, that's rarely used by buses.
The camera has been catching out motorists turning left from K Road onto Howe Street, with drivers slipping into the end of the bus lane before they reach the lights.
Figures provided to Stuff reveal that between February 7, when the camera was turned on, and March 30, 5498 infringements were issued. With each fine being for $150, that works out as $824,700 going into the coffers of the Auckland Council controlled organisation during this period.
Yoannah Dieudonné, who works nearby says she received a number of fines in quick succession after the camera was activated.
"It was all of a sudden really, I've been driving this way to and from work for over a year and within a week I received three fines," Dieudonné said.
"It happened without warning and I soon found out that the cameras had been switched on five weeks prior.
"Obviously, it's a bus lane so there are certain rules around turning left or crossing into a bus lane, but with the way the bus lane is oriented, you can't do that safely without entering early.
"The buses themselves aren't using the bus lane when they go straight onto K Road, so it makes it very difficult to turn into Howe Street without getting a ticket."
Stuff observed the bus lane during operational hours last week and found that only one in 10 buses were using the designated lane, the others stuck to the middle lane as they went straight ahead. There is no route where buses make a left turn from Karangahape Road to Howe Street.
Locals Yoannah Dieudonné Katrina Steck have both received multiple fines from Auckland Transport. Photo: Stuff / Ricky Wilson
The bus lane was first installed in June 2021. In August 2022 it was operational between 7am and 10am and last November the hours between 3pm-7pm were also included and a CCTV camera was installed at that time.
Auckland Transport say there was a period between December 11 and January 28 when only warnings were sent out and the lane went live for enforcement on February 7.
At the time of this story's publication, Auckland Transport wasn't able to give a number for how many warnings were given out. None of the people Stuff spoke to said they had received warnings.
Local resident Katrina Steck said she has been hit with four infringements, so $600 worth of fines.
"I've lived in the area for two years and about a month after they started ticketing, I received a bulk of letters from Auckland Transport saying I had all of these fines, I had four at one time," Steck said.
"I contested all of them and said there was no safe way for me to turn and that's why I went into the bus lane.
"They said I didn't have a single (infringement), that I could get off my record. So I said 'I'll take you to court then.'"
The majority of vehicles on K Road approaching the junction go straight, but for ones turning left, they face a tricky choice of heading into the bus lane, or blocking up the middle lane, to the frustration of the cars behind them wanting to go straight, as the left turning and straight ahead lights are sequenced differently.
Only buses are permitted to go straight from the left hand lane at the junction of Karangahape Road and Howe Street. However, Stuff spotted that they rarely do this. Photo: Stuff / Ricky Wilson
Auckland Girls Grammar School is on Howe Street and the school's principal, Ngaire Ashmore says teachers have been hit with numerous fines.
She tried to take it up with Auckland Transport, but didn't get much of a response to a letter sent on March 5.
"A disproportionate amount of staff who come that way were getting infringement notices," Ashmore said.
"So on behalf of the school, we wrote to ask them to consider looking more closely at where the entry to the bus lane is.
"We talked to them about some of the physical challenges, so if you don't move across in a timely way, you get stuck in the other lane and then you can't turn left onto Howe Street.
"We got an email that said thank you for your letter, there's a process where they can appeal their infringement notice.
"Some of the staff have done that, but it doesn't change the fact that it is very difficult to get into that lane in a timely way, that doesn't result in an infringement, just to turn left, to come to work."
The school sent out letters to parents warning them of the camera if they come that way when dropping off children and also informed them of how steep the fines were.
Steck said she's fighting the four fines she's received and feels it's only fair to pay one, as she didn't get the first infringement notice until after she'd been caught by the camera three other times.
A spokesperson for Auckland Transport said on average it takes six days from the time of infringing, to getting the letter.
Stuff asked Auckland Transport if it had any evidence of the bus lane speeding up the movement of buses along Karangahape Road, or if this was a money-making exercise.
"Growing demand for transport for existing communities, as well as new ones, means we must do more than just building our way to better transport," Auckland Transport responded.
"New transport infrastructure is important but it's also expensive, and we have finite space, so it's critical we make the best use of our existing assets.
"We're creating more bus and transit lanes which provide less congested routes for vehicles that carry more people.
"Bus lanes are primarily to provide reliable travel times for public transport users. "Inconsistent journey times makes public transport unattractive and therefore fewer people will use it.
Auckland Transport said having large variations of timing means people can't consistently get to work, school or appointments on time.
"They miss connections and wait at bus stops longer than they need to or want to," Auckland Transport said.
"So, the bus lanes are there to move buses along roads at the same speed at times when the roads are busy, as when they are not so busy."
- This story was first published by Stuff