TfL could suck back around £300,000 in Games Lane fines from the public as confusion, abuse - not to mention tailbacks - rack up.

Around 2,400 fines have been issued since the start of August. However TfL is claiming that they've been lenient and are not cashing in on the new charges.

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The so-called 'Zil' lanes can mean a £130 fine for unauthorised drivers. But TfL claims it has given out many cautions rather than fines. The emphasis is on compliance says the Capital's transport system body.

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TfL surface transport boss Garrett Emmerson says he has "no interest in unnecessarily penalising drivers and, with a very high compliance rate of around 98% to date, the overwhelming majority are following the requirement to stay out of Games Lanes when they are in use."

"We are now issuing," he says, "Penalty Charge Notices to drivers who contravene the Olympic Route Network, but will continue to be proportionate and sensible; we're seeking compliance from drivers, not income from fines."

Traffic better than predicted

The 30 miles of Games lanes came into force on July 25. The British International Freight Association (BIFA) claims many journey times are quicker than originally thought, given the widespread worry of Capital gridlock.

Traffic levels, Peter Quantrill, director general of BIFA told AOL Money, "have actually dropped during the course of the games and the Games Lanes and Olympic Route Network do not appear to have caused the confusion and chaos for the capital's road users that some had predicted."

Certainly the Games Lanes have been a boost for some cyclists even though, officially, cyclists are banned from using them - a move criticised by some, including Tory MP Sir Peter Bottomley.

"If a bus is in front of an approved car, yes, they are going to be held up If a lorry is in front of them, they will be held up. But if it's a cyclist it isn't difficult to get past. I don't see why cyclists should be forced into one of the remaining lanes with all the other traffic, which would be dangerous."

However the death of a 28-year-old cyclist, Daniel Harris, struck by a bus carrying journalists outside the Olympic Park on 1 August, has been a safety blow.

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