Cameras in bus-lanes have already caught 260 people in one month

Cameras in Aberdeen have caught 260 drivers illegally using bus lanes, with offenders facing �30 penalties.

Aberdeen City Council said the �410,000 system appears to be an effective deterrent to motorists using bus lanes to beat rush-hour traffic.

It expects to catch even more drivers next month after teething problems with the technology had been ironed out.

Andrew Smith, principal engineer in Traffic and Development Control at the council, said staff were still in the early stages of the enforcement process.

He said: "At present, all sites are periodically monitored and will be subject to review and prioritisation as a database of offences and frequency is recorded over time.

"Monitoring and prioritisation will become a part of the process and the long term benefits for safety and public transport are the important factors."

Officials said they expected the total number of offences detected each month to rise in the short term but fall in the long term as motorists become familiar with the cameras.

The eight cameras throughout Aberdeen, which were set up with Scottish Executive funding, are operated in partnership by the council and Grampian Police.

However, the Automobile Association has described the technology as unnecessary and claimed that motorists in bus lanes did not cause serious problems.