The number of people caught driving through the city centre bus gate fell by more than a half last year.

The camera patrolling the traffic lights in Northgate Street snapped 3,596 vehicles in the financial year 2008/9.

That is still a rate of nearly 10 a day, but there was a sharp fall from the 2007/8 year, when 7,362 were caught.

The figures have emerged after a Freedom of Information Act request by the Chronicle to Bath and North East Somerset Council.

The authority says it does not keep records specifying the number of fixed penalty notices which are later withdrawn.

It has in the past released figures for the income it has received in fines - even revealing totals for individual months.

But it now says the information is not recorded electronically and would take a member of staff four days to compile.

The fine for driving through the bus gate is £60, but this can be halved if the money is paid within two weeks.

In the year 2007/8, the council took £700,000 in fines and a report two years ago predicted the income for the 2008/9 year would be around £500,000.

The bus gate system, which allows only buses and taxis to drive all the way through the centre of Bath during peak hours, was introduced in 2001.

It operates between 10am and 6pm seven days a week and affects Northgate, New Bond Street and High Street.

In the past, there has been criticism of the size and positioning of signs warning people about the restriction.

B&NES councillor David Dixon (Lib Dem, Walcot), who has raised the issue in the past, said the situation had now improved.

"I think the better signage is why we have seen such a big decrease."

He said signs directing people around the city centre still needed to be improved.

But motorist Stan Kelley, 69, from Hertford, who was caught by the camera on New Year's Eve, said the bus gate signs were too small and too late.

The retired journalist had been driving into the city centre on his first visit to Bath for a celebration with friends at the time.

"I was following a bus and the signs are too late. You can't suddenly stop and reverse."