A BUS lane which covers the entrance to a popular Belfast hotel is to be shortened after almost 5,000 drivers were fined in six months.
The Department of Regional Development has said the lane, outside the Europa Hotel on Great Victoria Street, is to be shortened "by 25m on the approach to the pelican crossing" in an attempt to "improve overall traffic management".
It follows meetings between departmental officials and the hotel's chief executive, with the changes due to take effect within weeks once amendments to legislation are completed.
Although the DRD declined to state how many of the fines were linked to motorists attempting to enter the Europa, drivers are at present forced to turn into the bus lane in order to access the front entrance of the hotel.
Minister Michelle McIlveen said: "Information requested is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost."
However, Ms McIlveen confirmed that 4,934 penalty notices had been issued to motorists entering the bus lane at Great Victoria Street in six months from June to December 2015.
The figures were disclosed in response to an Assembly question by SDLP South Belfast MLA Fearghal McKinney, who described the numbers as "absolutely crazy."
He said: "I think people will be rightly shocked. This breaks downs as 250 drivers a week, 50 a day, this is absolutely crazy. That is the guts of half a million pounds in fines."
"We have a great number of people coming to our constituency office saying that they don't believe that bus lane is properly signed. Clearly people are not recognising it as a bus lane. The public is being punished here."
Mr McKinney added: "It is a disproportionate figure and we have raised this with the minister, who is now saying she is prepared to look again at that part of the bus lane."
Several motorists have spoken of their frustration at being fined while attempting to enter the Europa.
A wedding car firm were fined three times in one day in July while accessing the hotel.
Owner Mike Barr said: "It's ridiculous. In the photographs we are yards away from the entrance. It's just too dangerous to turn left from an outside lane."
In August a Transport NI spokesman said that penalty charge notices were issued when "non-permitted vehicles are observed travelling an unnecessarily long distance within a bus lane" and urged motorists to "cross the bus lane as near to a right angle as possible when safe to do so."
However, yesterday the department confirmed that changes will be made to the bus lane.
A spokesperson for DRD said: "In relation to access to the Europa Hotel, DRD officials have met with the hotel's chief executive and have proposed a minor adjustment, which will shorten the bus lane by 25m on the approach to the pelican crossing, aimed at improving overall traffic management at this location."
"Legislation to enable these changes is at the final stages of the process and the Order is expected to be made within the next three weeks. Following this, these changes will be implemented on Great Victoria Street as soon as possible."
