Motorists ticketed a total of $1.27 million for breaching Auckland bus lane

Auckland motorists frequently breach bus lanes in an attempt to combat traffic or queues.

Motorists travelling along a bus lane in a central Auckland suburb have been pinged for more than a million dollars in fines, in just a year.

Figures released by Auckland Transport under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act revealed the notices issued to drivers breaching the Kingdon St to Broadway transit lane in Newmarket totalled around $1.27 million in fines.

A total of 8462 infringement notices were issued in the year to November 2017.

Auckland Transport spokesman James Ireland said the organisation fought an "ongoing battle" to keep Auckland motorists out of bus and transit lanes.

Ticketing occurred in an attempt to boost compliance, he said, rather than to raise money.

"Buses are the backbone of Auckland's public transport system and it's essential that they can move as freely as possible, and this is why bus and transit lanes are so important," Ireland said.

As a general rule, vehicles were only allowed to pull into a transit lane and travel for 50 metres before making a left-hand turn.

Transit lanes were reserved for the use of vehicles carrying not less than the number of people specified on the sign.

Both kinds of restricted-access lanes were regularly monitored by traffic enforcement officers, who issued a ticket to vehicles not complying with the conditions.