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| Essex County Council waives £1m of Colchester bus lane fines | Essex County Council waives £1m of Colchester bus lane fines |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Essex County Council has waived about £1m worth of fines after it agreed with driver complaints that the signs for a town's bus lanes were unclear. | Essex County Council has waived about £1m worth of fines after it agreed with driver complaints that the signs for a town's bus lanes were unclear. |
| Bus lanes were re-introduced to North Hill and High Street in Colchester in October. | Bus lanes were re-introduced to North Hill and High Street in Colchester in October. |
| Since then, 30,000 drivers spotted using the lanes have been fined. | |
| Councillor Rodney Bass said the council would refund those who had paid and waive the fines of those who had not after complaints about "clarity". | Councillor Rodney Bass said the council would refund those who had paid and waive the fines of those who had not after complaints about "clarity". |
| Mr Bass, the cabinet member for highways and transportation, said the authority had "received a high volume of correspondence from motorists regarding the clarity of the bus lanes". | Mr Bass, the cabinet member for highways and transportation, said the authority had "received a high volume of correspondence from motorists regarding the clarity of the bus lanes". |
| He said that as a result, "the decision has been taken to grant an amnesty on all penalty charge notices issued so far". | He said that as a result, "the decision has been taken to grant an amnesty on all penalty charge notices issued so far". |
| He added that he had "asked for additional signage and road markings to be installed as soon as possible to make it clearer to motorists where the bus lanes are located". | He added that he had "asked for additional signage and road markings to be installed as soon as possible to make it clearer to motorists where the bus lanes are located". |
| The new measures will include red surfacing on the bus lane on High Street to Queen Street and extra signs both before and on the bus lanes. | The new measures will include red surfacing on the bus lane on High Street to Queen Street and extra signs both before and on the bus lanes. |
| The penalties for driving in the bus lanes will be reinstated on 12 January. | The penalties for driving in the bus lanes will be reinstated on 12 January. |
| The lanes were reintroduced following the lifting of a partial ban on cars in parts of the town centre in April. | The lanes were reintroduced following the lifting of a partial ban on cars in parts of the town centre in April. |