£300,000 worth of 'Games Lanes' fines

Motorists have been hit with more than £300,000 worth of fines for using the Olympic Route Network, Transport for London (TfL) has admitted. Around 2,400 drivers have picked up £130 penalties for straying into sections of the 109 miles of "Games Lanes" reserved for VIPs, officials, corporate sponsors and athletes.

Garrett Emmerson, Chief Operating Officer for Surface Transport at TfL, said: "The operation of the Olympic Route Network (ORN) and Games Lanes has gone well. We have no interest in unnecessarily penalising drivers and, with a very high compliance rate of around 98 per cent to date, the overwhelming majority are following the requirement to stay out of Games Lanes when they are in use."

Emmerson said that warning notices rather than penalty charges were issued for the first six days the Games Lanes were in operation, to give drivers a chance to become accustomed to them. He added: "We’re seeking compliance from drivers, not income from fines. To date, some 2,400 PCNs have been issued."

The Olympic Route Network will be end operation and enforcement at midnight on Tuesday 14 August. But 8.7 miles of Games Lanes will be re-instated overnight on Saturday 25 August for the Paralympics. The Paralympic Route Network will not be enforced until Wednesday 29 August.