GLASGOW is to be the first in Scotland to roll out a batch of new super cameras.

The technology is capable of catching 50 times as many motorists driving ­illegally as standard road traffic cameras.

Glasgow City Council will deploy the technology when the first of five cameras goes live in the Scotstounhill area of the city on Monday as part of a continued crackdown on motorists using bus lanes illegally.

It will be located in Dumbarton Road, to the east of Burnham Road, and will ­operate 24 hours a day. The ­locations for the remaining four cameras have not yet been disclosed, but they will also be used to monitor bus lanes.

Manufacturer Zenco said Glasgow is the only Scottish council to date to purchase the ZenGrab LaneWatch Mk2 cameras, which cost £17,000 each and feature two lenses and night-vision.

The authority already uses 11 ZenGrab Mk1 cameras to monitor bus lanes in and around the city centre. Earlier this year it announced it had generated an average of £11,000-a-day in fines since they launched in April 2012.

The introduction of the latest model comes weeks after a council report set a target of raising £376,000 by 2015 through "increased bus lane camera enforcement".

Neil Greig, director of policy at the Institute of Advanced Motoring, said: "The reason for this is to keep bus lanes clear and keep traffic moving. They shouldn't be looking at how much money they can make.

"If enforcement was working the target should be to make no money, so it does feel that this is giving out the wrong message."

Motorists are liable to pay £60 if the number-plate recognition cameras snap them using bus lanes during ­restricted hours, with the fine reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days.

However, controversial cases, such as a motorist who was fined when she pulled into a bus lane to allow a fire engine to pass, have led to criticism.

Questions have also been raised about how well signposted the lanes are, with figures showing almost one-third of fines ­issued by one particular camera were overturned.

An AA spokesman said: "The whole idea of cameras is to act as a deterrent to stop people from driving in bus lanes, but these are just about catching drivers on an industrial scale.

"They should be a means to get drivers to behave themselves and not block up bus lanes, not to drive profit."

But John Cahill, operations director for First Glasgow, said: "Bus lanes enable our services to better negotiate congestion. Ensuring other motorists don't abuse them is important in providing great service for our customers."

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: "The minority of drivers who abuse bus lanes are inconsiderate. Not only do they inconvenience others and cause frustration but they also threaten the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and other road users. This is despite there being very clear and constant reminders of the law.

"Over the last year we have seen civil enforcement help lower the number of offences in Glasgow, improve the flow of traffic on a number of congested stretches and improve the reliability of bus journeys on some key routes.

"The scheme is designed to be self-funding. Any surplus income from charge notices is used to achieve the aims of our local transport strategy."

helen.mcardle@eveningtimes.co.uk