Essex County Council to hand back £1m to 17,000 fined Colchester drivers Essex County Council has admitted that the controversial scheme in Colchester town centre confused drivers and was inadequately signposted Almost 17,000 fixed penalty £60 tickets have been handed out in 11 weeks A town hall has been forced to hand back more than £1m to motorists fined for illegally using its new bus lanes - because the signposts were not adequately marked. Essex County Council has admitted that the controversial scheme in Colchester town centre confused drivers and was inadequately signposted. Almost 17,000 fixed penalty £60 tickets have been handed out in the 11 weeks since enforcement of the bus lanes started. They will all now be waived following an online uproar. Rodney Bass, Essex County councillor responsible for highways, ruled anyone fined £60 for going up North Hill and for turning from the High Street into Queen Street will not have to pay. Nearly 3,500 people supported a petition set up by Jerry-Ann Cotterill and Chris and Jane Harvey on New Year's Eve calling for notices to be waived until the restrictions were clearer. Mr Harvey said: 'For once, people power has won. 'I don't have a problem with the bus lanes, if that's what they want to do. But it needs to be signed properly and it needs to be public knowledge. Someone with common sense should have seen the number of people using them and realised they needed to do something about it. Almost 17,000 fixed penalty £60 tickets have been handed out in the 11 weeks since enforcement of the bus lanes started Mrs Cotterill said: 'It's the right decision. We didn't get what we wanted, we got what should have happened in the first place. The decision follows a flurry of appeals by motorists who said they were unaware the bus lanes had been introduced, and who did not see the limited number of signs advertising the restrictions. Many did not realise the bus lanes, part of a town centre traffic overhaul scrapped after just a few weeks last April, had been reinstated. As the notices were often sent three weeks after the infringement, many motorists received a flurry of fines at £30 each, rising to £60 after 14 days and £90 after 28 days. One motorist received 17 fines, while another Blue Badge holder was handed three in 23 minutes while trying to find somewhere to park. Taxi drivers and motorcyclists, who are allowed to use bus lanes, were also sent notices through the post. The decision follows a flurry of appeals by motorists who said they were unaware the bus lanes had been introduced, and who did not see the limited number of signs advertising the restrictions About 1,500 people also joined two groups set up on social networking site Facebook to vent their frustration. Mr Bass said: 'We have received a high volume of correspondence from motorists regarding the clarity of the bus lanes in Colchester town centre, and therefore the decision has been taken to grant an amnesty on all penalty charge notices issued so far. I have asked for additional signage and road markings to be installed as soon as possible to make it clearer to motorists where the bus lanes are located. County Hall officers have now begun improving the signs and markings in the town centre and anyone caught using the bus lane from Sunday morning will be fined. Motorists handed a flurry of fines have welcomed the waiver. One relieved man will be Mark Hickman, 52, who last month moved to the Solus Estate in Colchester after spending several months in temporary accommodation in Ipswich. Edwin Harris, received 3 fines in 23 minutes for using the Queen Street bus lanes, Colchester town centre To avoid traffic on Balkerne Hill after picking wife Nicola up from working at the Co-op in Nayland Road, he drove to Mersea Road via North Hill and Queen Street. By yesterday, he had received 18 tickets and counting - leaving him facing a bill of at least £540. He said: 'I'm gobsmacked - I think it's brilliant. It would have been very difficult for us to pay the fines. This has made our life so much easier. 'Perhaps this has opened the council's eyes - they should listen to the public more often.' On December 9, blue badge holder Edwin Harris, 72, was caught turning from the High Street into Queen Street three times between 11.22am and 11.45am while looking for a parking space. Mr Harris, of Gratian Close, Highwoods had received two further tickets while driving into the town centre to shop. He said: 'If they are going to revoke the fines I am pleased. I'll be able to sleep better now. 'I can't just throw away money I'm a pensioner. I look forward to getting my money back. Jerry Anne Cotterill and Chris Harvey celebrate the scrapping of bus lane fines 'If they're going to do it properly then fine. Anybody that goes through there knowing they shouldn't have got a case to answer for.' Barbara Davis, 56, of Willett Road, Colchester, who set up one of the Facebook groups after receiving four fines, said she was not surprised at the decision. She said: 'They had to because there were so many people on the petition and Facebook group. I don't think they would have got out of it any other way. 'I think it is great and I'm glad it is all over now. Hopefully they will get all the road markings right and people will be aware of it. If all the road signs change there will no need to do this again. Colchester MP Sir Bob Russell, wrote to Mr Bass last week after receiving a flurry of response from residents. He said: 'I would like to thank Councillor Bass for his prompt and positive response to the real and genuine concerns which have been raised by so many people who unwittingly were not aware of the latest changes to the traffic management system in the town centre. My letter to him asking that the fines were waived was based on my belief that motorists were not deliberately breaking the law. I am pleased that Councillor Bass has taken the same view.