Thousands of motorists illegally driving in bus lanes may have escaped punishment because enforcement officers were distracted by other work.

In the past year 2,892 drivers – an average of eight a day – were given £60 fines after being caught on camera breaking the law.

The figures from Brighton and Hove City Council were a large drop from 2011/12 when more than three times as many tickets (9,311) were issued.

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Transport chiefs said the decline was due to officers being tied up with training and focusing attention on other enforcement duties.

But a week after the opening of a new bus lane in Lewes Road, Brighton, they warned anyone flouting the rules of the road ran the risk of being issued with a fine.

A council spokesman said: “As with any type of enforcement, be it by camera or by civil enforcement officers on foot, only a proportion of motorists who drive or park where they shouldn’t will be issued with a Penalty Charge Notice.”

Motoring lobbyist Steve Percy, of People’s Parking Protest, said: “It’s |an awful lot of people but I think |the majority of those would be by mistake.

“I can’t see anyone doing it on purpose. It begs the question whether the council should introduce a little bit of tolerance.”

Only buses, taxis and cyclists are allowed to use the dedicated bus lanes in the city.

‘Prioritising’ To enforce the restrictions, a small team monitors footage of Western Road, North Road and Grand Parade on a regular basis.

In addition to this, workers now have to keep tabs on static CCTV cameras in problematic areas, such as the Lewes Road area south of the Vogue Gyratory, where motorists regularly park in the cycle lane.

The local authority said the reduction in fines in the last year was due to its dedicated workers having to receive training on how to use the new technology.

A council spokesman added: “The addition of these duties has meant that they are able to prioritise incidents which affect traffic flow along the busy North Street and Western Road corridor.”

Martin Harris, of Brighton and Hove Bus Company, said: “The whole point of bus lanes is to keep large numbers of people moving along as quickly and efficiently as possible.

“By encroaching on the lanes, other motorists are putting themselves and other road users at risk.”