More than £400,000 in fines have been dished out to motorists snared at a controversial city bus gate in just four months, the Evening Express can reveal today.

Since a static camera was introduced at the Bedford Road bus gate at the end of July, more than 11,000 penalty charge notices have been issued at the site – 3,000 more than all the other traffic camera sites in the city combined.

Just under £300,000 of the overall total of £450,000 have been paid, with £150,925 currently outstanding. On average £3,688 of penalties are handed out at the site every day.

The figures, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, reveal the total number of notices issued at the site from August to November was 11,653.

It compares to 8,652 penalty charge notices issued across all camera sites elsewhere in the city during the same time period, with £265,535 in charges handed out.

In August, 2,922 penalties were handed out at the bus gate, with this increasing to 3,708 the following month.

This figure fell to 2,684 in October and further decreased to 2,339 in November.

The bus gate was introduced on Bedford Road, near Kittybrewster Retail Park, meaning only buses and cyclists are able to access the route.

The measure was introduced to stop motorists using Bedford Road as a through road after the Diamond Bridge opened. It has led to the road being permanently closed to all other traffic between Meston Walk and Hermitage Avenue. The site has been closed to traffic since May – but many motorists have failed to heed the ban.

The city’s Depute Provost Councillor John Reynolds, who previously lodged a motion asking for taxis to be allowed through the bus gate, said more needed to be done to improve signs at the camera.

He said: “One of the complaints I have had is it is not very well signposted, you are actually committed before you get to it.

“A lot of people are doing U-turns and three-point turns, which in itself is dangerous. We should be looking at the signage, is there enough before you get to Bedford Road? I think they could be improved dramatically.”

Meanwhile, councillor for the area Jim Noble said: “As it’s such a high figure, obviously people are not adhering to the new road traffic signs and are still going through.

“It brings into question how successful the bus gate has been. It begs the question of what it will do in the future.”

Councillor Ross Grant, Aberdeen City Council’s transport and regeneration spokesman, said: “The Bedford Road bus gate is monitored in both directions by a fixed camera which is operational 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The number of Penalty Charge Notices issued reflects the enforcement measures being taken and we would urge motorists to observe the restrictions in place.”