A furious driver launched a campaign against a minuscule bus lane which has cost motorists £400,000 in fines.

Geoffrey Ben-Nathan, 86, has been fuming over the 39-foot bus lane in Northolt Road, Harrow, after being given a ticket.

He has now called for the lane, which operates 24/7, to have clearer signage so drivers don’t become confused and use it accidentally.

The granddad, who lives in Northwick Park, told local news website MyLondon: ‘It’s difficult to see what purpose the bus lane serves.

‘There is no lane at all – it is effectively a box along one side of a small triangular island.

‘It must be the smallest bus lane in London. I’ve measured it and it’s just over 39 feet. Only one bus can fit in it.

‘And it has no prescriptive warning sign directing the motorist to change lanes. I’ve never seen a sign like it – it could be unique.’

He has since created a giant sign which says ‘motorists be warned!’ to alert them to the upcoming lane.

Geoffrey successfully overturned his fine after fighting it at a tribunal which ruled in his favour – but thousands of other drivers still had to pay.

A Freedom of Information request by the publication found 7,854 drivers were caught using the bus lane between April 2019 and the end of 2021, resulting in £442,363.36 worth of fines issued by Harrow Council.

Retired businessman Geoffrey added: ‘One answer is that councils be put under a statutory duty to flag up all contraventions which are so many per cent above average: be they contraventions in entering a bus lane or contraventions at any other location.

‘Morally, the onus must be on councils to prevent motorists from contravening their motoring regulations. This is not the case at the moment.’

Geoffrey claimed the council was more concerned about collecting revenue rather than trying to ‘improve road safety and minimise accidents’.

Harrow Council leader, Graham Henson, said the council will ‘review’ the area to see if ‘improvements can be made’ to the road layout and the signage.

A Harrow Council spokesperson added: ‘It is against the law for ordinary motorists to use a bus lane and doing so usually results in a fine.

‘We believe that the signage here is clear and in accordance with the law.’

The road is however a far cry off London’s most expensive road in terms of fines.

Browning Road in Newham tops the list of roads with the most traffic offences. The east London council charges an average of £17,368 in fines every day – or £723 an hour.

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