Got a call the other day from the missus while i was at work, saying that i had a fixed penalty notice.
She opened it, and it was a bus lane fine.
I remember specifically, the incident.
I had stopped at the back of a queue of traffic and (Not knowing the road) kept left to turn left, not realising a bus lane. So, the video quite
clearly shows me stopping before entering the bus lane nd not being able to join the traffic. I had oncoming traffic wanting to turn into the
junction i was blocking, and some twat on the horn wanting to come out of the junction.
Admittedly, not the best forward planning ive ever made, but the traffic did stop suddenly.
The video dosnt show the "Pressure" i was under to move, nor does it show me leaving the bus lane after 30m, so ive contested it stating
that i had entered the bus lane under duress.
Anyone else had any similar problem?
Whats annoying, is that the Council pay for some muppet to operate the system to generate revenue! I bet they leave it for the discounted period so
that the fine jumps to £120 before responding!!
good luck in contesting but I doubt you'll get anywhere.
I bet their letter box is full of sob stories like yours.
and yes, it is f*****ink annoyink.
It might be worth paying it "without prejudice" and then contesting it to avoid any extra fees.
Unfortunately they won't want to know. It's a bit like speeding and getting done. Then saying someone was beeping at me so I sped up. They hear it all and will just simply say tough, pay up.
Simple answer, pay it, its not worth the hassle. Yes I know that, on principal, you possibly have right on your side and like a lot of other people
you probably/possibly can't afford to pay out just now.
I have been there and done similar to you in Croyden. Blind sided by other vehicles and a major lack of street name signs left me thinking I needed to
go straight over a junction. The road I ended up in was obviously the wrong one when entered so I made a legal turn in the road and went back to the
junction. It was only then that I spotted the bus lane only sign hanging from the traffic signal with a camera above
it.
The answer is these days that If I get asked to go where there are bus lane cameras then I am extra careful and do my best to COMPLETELY avoid
entering those areas so they cant get any more of my money from fines or even just usage of local shops and facilities. If people stop going to these
areas then they will loose ALL revenue legitimate or from fines.
Unfortunately you had a reason to break the law but you still broke it and so they won't give a monkeys.
Celebs manage to get off speeding fines (sometimes) by stating "pressure" but then they also can afford to throw more money at lawyers than
the councils so the councils give in!!!
Had the same in harrow, ended up paying, expensive but just not worth the hassle.. I'm afraid is a bureaucratic nightmare to do much about it.. I
just NEVER go in a bus lane around here as it's impossible to know what the signs say (hrs) for every one; nearly every one else seems to do the
same now (after getting stung I suspect!)... In harrow it's a nightmare in this respect as the council has an unmarked van with a camera catching
this kind of thing..
Dan
basically i had the exact same thing in palmers green years ago. except there was no busses infront or behind me, no one was being held up, and i changed lanes before the corner to go round it. photo sent through the post. shower of bastards. i doubt there'll be anything you can do about it i couldn't
Have a look on here. I think I seen something recently about being able to get the majority of Local Council fines quashed as they are in breech of the linked regulations.
quote:
Originally posted by se7en
Have a look on here. I think I seen something recently about being able to get the majority of Local Council fines quashed as they are in breech of the linked regulations.
:O
Read 23.2
Does that imply that an lwb safari land rover with 12 seats is legally allowed to drive around in bus lanes??
I'll bet you your car that while you are arguing with the lower echelons of civil service, your fine goes up by the minute.