A High Court judge has ruled Oxfordshire County Council was justified in fining motorists driving through a bus gate in the city centre.

Last year, the traffic Penalty Tribunal told the council it had incorrectly fined motorists for driving through a section of the High Street – a decision which could have forced the authority to pay back £1.35m it had collected in fines between April 2007 and March 2009.

Chief Bus Lane adjudicator Caroline Sheppard had ruled the council was wrong to fine motorists when it had not put up the correct signage to indicate it was a bus lane.

However, following a landmark council challenge in the High Court, Mr Justice Beatson today ruled the council had put up adequate signage to stop people using the 15-metre-long stretch of road. Other councils up and down the country had been waiting to hear the outcome of the case to make sure the bus gates they had created were legal.

Council cabinet member for transport Rodney Rose said: “Obviously we feel vindicated.

“We put in the bus gate for all the right reasons to ease the traffic flow through the centre of Oxford.”