According to data obtained by the RAC, drivers in the 20 largest cities around the UK have received over one million penalty charge notices (PCNs) over the last year for driving in bus lanes. Figures from a Freedom of Information (FOI) enquiry showed that between 2015-17 over 3.4 million people received a fixed penalty notice for this.
Bus lane penalties can be very different in cost, but the RAC estimates that these charges have amounted to a staggering £200 million across three years – around £68 million each year in extra income for local councils.
A common mistake
In their press release on the topic, the RAC looked at city councils in London and around the UK. It showed that there had been a 5% rise in the actual number of penalty charge notices issued for bus lane misuse from 2015 until 2017. This figure was higher outside London with a 9% increase over the time frame while inside the capital, the number had dropped by 5%.
The greatest concern for the RAC is that many drivers aren’t deliberately misusing bus lanes but rather there is poor or confusing road signs meaning that it has become a common mistake. And it’s also one that local councils are quick to punish. That’s why they are calling for a review of national signage guidelines and other steps including the use of ‘smart bus lanes’ to make it easier and clearer for motorists.
Varied picture across the country
The picture when comparing the different cities presents a varied one. The data analysed by the RAC showed that Manchester City Council issued the most notices between 2015-17, totalling over 350,000 and a massive 172,311 in 2017 – an increase of 175% on the 2015 figure. Second place was Glasgow with over 339,000 across the two years. Followed by Cardiff (267,00+), Bradford (208,000+) and Nottingham (194,000+).
Birmingham City Council topped the list of the councils that saw the highest increases. The city has 19 miles of bus lanes and sent out 2,368% more fines for infringements in 2017 than in 2015. It is despite there being no extra bus lanes or even any more cameras supervising them. Three of the London boroughs – Croydon, Havering, and Southwark – also saw increases of 787%, 439%, and 187% respectively.
Overall, the picture in London was varied. Of the 33 local authorities, 27 provided information for the study. Of these, half had seen a rise in the number of bus lane fines while half had recorded a decrease in penalties for the period 2015-17.
Confusing picture
The complete picture is a confusing one. Bristol has the most enforcement cameras, numbering 51 and issued an average of 944 fines per camera. But Manchester had just 22 and issued the equivalent of 7,832 penalties per camera. Lewisham Council in London had the highest total number of PCNs per camera, with one bus lane camera issuing a shocking 9261 notices in a year.
RAC spokesman, Simon Williams, admitted that bus lanes have a vital role to play in keeping city centres moving. But, the sheer number of fines that councils are issuing suggests there is a bigger problem. And, they firmly believe this is because people don’t realise they are breaking the rules.
They are campaigning for better signage and a reduction of ‘clutter’ that can mean it is easy for drivers to miss them. They also advocate the use of modern technology that could make better use of available road space in a similar way to smart motorways.
Handling a fine
Fines for bus lane violations vary across councils with London the highest at £160, or £80 if paid quickly. Most cities average around £60. Motorists who receive one can often get a discounted rate if they pay speedily but need to be aware that the cost can increase if they take more than 28 days to pay.
The only advice we can provide is to make sure you steer well clear of bus lanes if you know that they are in operation, many now have cameras monitoring their use as this research confirms, so don’t risk it. But also, be aware that if you are driving in an unfamiliar location and accidentally drive on a bus lane without realising, stating that you didn’t know it was there may be an acceptable defence if you appeal against the fine, but it is solely at the discretion of the council when you appeal.
Have you ever had a penalty notice for driving in a bus lane? Did you know what you were doing or were you unaware until the fine came through? Do you think this is a cash cow for the councils and being misused? Let us know in the comments.
Got a bus lane fine in Manchester. Oxford Road, just south of the University. I didn’t know until the fine came through
Jonathan
How else would you know?
They don’t chase you down the road and try to stick a notice on your windscreen like parking wardens do?
By being warned by adequate signage or road-markings prior to making a manoeuvre which will attract a fine.
It’s not that difficult if you think about it.
Presumably you work for a local council.
I was done on Oxford road also. i should have driven up a one way street the wrong way instead of driving in a square to go down it the right way which unknown to me took me down a small stretch of bus lane not clearly identified to get there. As you note you get the letter. i appealed saying there was no way to get to the road i wanted to go down. heard nothing for 2 months. then got letter increasing it to £90. rang them immediately, waited 50 mins in queue. when i got through i asked them what happened to my appeal? they apologised saying there was a glitch in their system, my appeal was rejected, and i could pay £30!? I said i wanted to see the rejection which they then sent. Total waste of my time. I’m just going to pay and just accept that the Council are scum. There will be an opportunity at some point to get even.
Lack of signage is one of the problems for strangers driving through many towns and cities not just for bus lanes but direction signs as well WE are not all locals who know the way and use the roads day after day Markings on the road for lanes to be in are also confusing in many places Locals know be strangers get confused
I have just had a penalty notice from Manchester Council. We don’t know the City well and so don’t drive in but on this occasion had agreed to pick up a friend from the Manchester eye hospital who had had an operation on her eye.
This particular day there was heavy snow falling and we were struggling to find the place to pick her up so the first I knew was when the notice arrived in the post.
Certain that I hadn’t been in a bus lane I looked on Google Earth and only then saw the signage.
Realising that I’d inadvertently gone down a bus and taxi lane (there were several cars in front of me which may or may not have been taxis) I have paid the fine.
The lack of signage is a big problem when driving in a strange town or city not just for bus only lanes and roads but for direction signs as well Locals have found the way sometimes by trial and error but a stranger can be confused and lost no wonder many end up driving in a bus lane by mistake and the councils say being lost and confused is no excuse you must pay the penalty fine
I recently travelled a road that I had used regularly a good while ago. It was not in a city centre but on the outskirts of Taunton. There was a massive development going on and the road was previously a direct access to the town. The next thing I knew a notice that I had gone through a ‘Bus Gate’ arrived on my doorstep with two photos showing my transgression. I had no idea the bus gate was there and as far as I was aware no previous signage warned of this. Believing that the photos established the transgression I opted for the £30 reduced fine but wasn’t happy. I travelled the road again later and there were signs but they were , in my mind, of insufficient size for an unsuspecting motorist such as myself to see. I find it hard to understand why this main artery into the town has suddenly been cut off for the unsuspecting motorist and why the Authorities are so quick to impose a fine on motorists. Yes I think it is another cash cow.
The question of can or cant you use a busy lane isn’t always clearly answered by Yes or No. Greater Manchester have, lanes you are never allowed to use and lanes that are restricted between the hours of 7am to 10am and 4pm to 7pm. Oldham, Salford, Trafford, Stockport, Bury and Bolton all have different policies. As a visiter to the Greater Manchester I’m confused.
My policy if I dont know the area is Stay out of the accursed things. We all know in most cases they are just money making machines for dishonest councils.
In Leeds I was fined for being in a bus lane that had previously been limited to peak travel times. This must have been a huge cash cow for the council but no signage to warn of the change ! The made a bit etra by not sending out the initial letter with the reduced rate. I – and others it seems – only got the second letter with the increased price. another lucrative move but one which I successfully challenged
2 years ago I returned fro m holiday with 3 friends and was diverted through Leicester. I used my satnav but came to a road that was closed due to roadworks, it took my at least half an hour to find the route that I needed. About two weeks after this I received a £60 fine for entering a bus lane, I was able to pay £30 by paying within two weeks. The annoying thing for me was that the penalty notice showed that the incident took pl;ace at 3.15 in the morning. There was no other traffic around and busses were certainly not running at that time. This was clearly a fund raising exercise.
Leicester is strange some bus lanes have time limits on them other don’t, It can catch you out even if you are local.
I got ‘caught’ in Bath – first visit, poor visibility on dark evening, and poor signage. Photo shows my car the only vehicle in lane. Technically in the wrong but doing no harm to anyone and causing no problem. Appealed to no effect.
This article feels like it is Click through bait PP….1,000,000 people, that is nothing compared to the amount of mobile phone users, people who can not see where they are going or judge distance to stop properly. These NEW cars that do not have indicators & use telepathy to challenge other road users are simply not good either & as for undertaking that is a whole other section.
PP if you are going to do articles like this, Please can you do a more in depth review of people and bad driving habits, to make them more aware of these and other issues that you will see.
The question here, is it a Cash Cow, or is it the local councils trying to educate drivers… I understand that sometimes bus lanes are not easy to see, sold white lines are just so confusing…
I am not on the side of any council here, nor am I sitting on the fence I am on the side of any drivers who takes driving seriously, follows the HWC & considers other drivers before their own actions in defensive, controlled & precise manor.
May I suggest that if this many people are getting tickets, they invest in car cams, so that they can dispute any so called bad signage etc, also check the legal status before challenging as well.. Also watch some of your own driving videos, listen to what you are doing & you might be in for a shock…
I use 360 degree cameras in my car, they video me, my dash and everything around the inside and outside of my car, I have employed them due to bad drivers, who simply do not want to fess up, even when they are on camera, typically these people try to steal your cameras which is also funny, as they upload all the time to the cloud, so stealing the evidence does not work these days either… It is amazing what lengths people will go to save their ego, driving reputation, or not to get egg on their face with their insurance company..
#gogglecar, #gogglebaddrivers
Good luck everyone
On the other side of the coin, is the problem of drivers not using bus lanes that are not in use at particular times of day. This can cause problems of its own by blocking a lane that oncoming traffic can’t use whilst overtaking parked vehicles.
Why are so many people driving in bus lanes? I stay out of them unless I can clearly see that I am allowed to use them during quiet times.
When you get one… Your view will change!
My guess is most people drive in bus lanes because they were on unfamiliar roads with poor signage, and didn’t realise. All that’s required is a well-marked lane (unbroken lane marking), perhaps a different colour, with ‘BUS LANE’ written on it at reasonable intervals, and a clear sign at junctions.
Signage is a problem, trying to read the restrictions while driving in traffic is not only difficult but also dangerous. Many drivers therefore do not drive in bus lanes at all.
Last year I took 13 MG sports cars to Coventry Transport Museum and we were invited to display our cars in front of the museum. However the one-way system and bus lanes directly in front of the museum and the confusing signage made access to the front of the museum extremely difficult for visitors like us.
Four of my members inadvertently entered a bus lane directly in front of the museum and two months later, each received Penalty Charge Notices which had increased to £90 as they said that the initial penalty notices had not been paid. None of my members ever received the first notices, very strangely, which Coventry City Council said they had sent and it was only after considerable telephone conversations and emails did they ‘kindly’ agree that the initial charges of £30 would stand.
This looks like a serious case of extortion on behalf of Coventry City Council and we will never return to the City and we urge all our MG friends to do likewise!
F.A.O. Robert Lynex. Hi Robert – re: your earlier post – it’s a Bus GATE near the Transport Museum in Hales Street, Coventry (not a Bus Lane). See my post re: Cov. Council refusing to display ROAD signage. The Council was, in 2017, still holding, and has REFUSED to pay out nearly £380K in fines regarding 3 x Bus Gates – many of which will be visitors who don’t read the Coventry Telegraph. That is the sole media in which the Council have DISCLOSED their poor signage and ADMITTED that they will refund all the £30 fines charged for those particular sites – BUT, ONLY if the individuals fined CONTACT the Council (despite them holding most “offenders” bank details, where paid online!) How would most of these people even KNOW the Council has agreed to this? A blatant Cash Cow scenario – where a public Enforcement Agency openly breaches the law!
Even the Conservative Councillors in Cabinet Meetings on the subject – fighting for the drivers re: the complete UNFAIRNESS of the fines – have been totally dismissed by the Labour leaders.
Hi, I was fined back in 2014 for infringing the “bus gate” in front of the Transport Museum. As a very occasional visitor to Coventry I was unaware of this issue & didn’t notice any signs. I argued about this but was forced to pay in the end, to avoid the fine doubling.
After reading your note above I e-mailed & requested a refund, but they have replied saying they are not issuing refunds for the Hales Street bus lane/gate?
Any further news on this issue?
Of course Councils are using Bus Lanes to generate an extra stream of income.
My local Council has introduced a bus lane on the main road running through the town centre.
This bus lane is effective 24/7 including Sundays and Bank Holidays, even though the buses stop running at around 11pm each night.
The question is, what can we do to stop the the steady creep of every-action-results-in-a-fine ?
OOps, the dim witted have started to vote.
They moan as they can not see large clearly marked bus lanes and large prominent bright yellow speed cameras, oh they do make me laugh.
There’s always one who thinks insulting people is a good idea. Your comment is about as useful as a chocolate teapot.
There should be a similar survey carried out on Bus GATES! Our Council [Coventry] has made millions on fines since they introduced these ‘short’ road lengths. Totally underhandedly, the Cabinet Officer responsible for this service OUTRIGHT REFUSES to observe Adjudicators’ recommendations after “offenders” cases are upheld at Tribunal. The problem – the Council proactively REFUSES to install ROAD SIGNAGE, which is required – in addition to mounted signs, in order to be legal. The Council insists the Bus Gates are there for safety reasons – and thinks that increasing the number of mounted signs suffices – saying that “repeat” offenders are doing so blatantly – it dismisses the fact that the drivers wouldn’t be there if the required clear large (1.6m lettering) “BUS LANE” signage was placed on the road to give them a clue – i.a.w. DfT’s Diagram 1048 of Schedule 6 to the Traffic Signs Regulations 2002 (Part 1 of SI 2002/3113).
Then they should be reported to the police fraud squad – they have to follow the law too. IMO this is obtaining money by menaces
My apologies – correction to my earlier post – road signage in the case of Bus Gates should read BUS GATE (separate to BUS LANES)
It’s not always drivers being lazy and ignoring signage. I received a penalty in Clapham (Lambeth Council) a couple of years ago. Although I race classic cars, I’m a very careful road driver and have never had a fine or endorsement in 40+ years of motoring, so was angry at my ‘mistake’.
I revisited the scene of the crime to see where I’d gone wrong. I hadn’t.
Further research showed that Lambeth (through some shady debt collectors) had raked in millions from this one bus lane.
I photographed and measured everything at the junction involved and called the Department of Transport (not very helpful) to find out the rules governing bus lane signage. It was clear that most of the statutory driving warnings were missing e.g. painted diversion arrows on the road directing drivers away from the lane, advanced warning signs at pre determined distances ahead of the lane etc.
I challenged the fine and continued to receive dire threats of increased penalties – the debt collector muppets wouldn’t discuss my concerns (assume they’re rewarded on turnover). They continued their aggressive stance right up to the day of the tribunal. They knew they were conning motorists so they failed to attend and I won by ‘default’.
I was able to recover costs for travel and time lost travelling to Islington for the tribunal, so this ploy didn’t cost the council.
Apparently if they’d attended and lost (which they would) then there would be a precedent clearly demonstrating the mass fraud that Lambeth were involved in. They would lose the benefit of denial, so swallowed my small loss to keep raking in money from less belligerent motorists.
A local newspaper took up the story and the signage at the junction was totally revamped. Lambeth refused to refund the millions they’d gained through their scam.
IMO this was a clear case of fraud and the ringleaders should have been jailed. Like most politicians, they avoid the same judgements applied to regular citizens.
Check the many Penalty Forums for how to respond to fines where there’s doubt about the circumstances.
Power to the people
I have just paid a fine to Cardiff CC for illegally using a bus lane on Saturday 3 March (Snow on ground) at 17.30 while the 2 adjacent lanes were full of traffic – the bus lane was empty.
I was turning left at the junction but strayed into the bus lane and, trying to keep the traffic flowing, was caught on camera and fined.
There seems to be no thought as to why or what I was trying to achieve, just sent out the fine notice.
Another cash making exercise to hit the motorist with no police involvement or confrontations to deal with.
BEWARE, BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m sure we have all seen many examples of bad, inconsiderate and selfish driving. Most of the misuse of bus lanes i’ve seen has been for exactly the same reasons.
F.A.O. Robert Lynex. Hi Robert – re: your earlier post – it’s a Bus GATE near the Transport Museum in Hales Street, Coventry (not a Bus Lane). See my post re: Cov. Council refusing to display ROAD signage. The Council was, in 2017, still holding, and has REFUSED to pay out nearly £380K in fines regarding 3 x Bus Gates – many of which will be visitors who don’t read the Coventry Telegraph. That is the sole media in which the Council have DISCLOSED their poor signage and ADMITTED that they will refund all the £30 fines charged for those particular sites – BUT, ONLY if the individuals fined CONTACT the Council (despite them holding most “offenders” bank details, where paid online!) How would most of these people even KNOW the Council has agreed to this? A blatant Cash Cow scenario – where a public Enforcement Agency openly breaches the law!
Even the Conservative Councillors in Cabinet Meetings on the subject – fighting for the drivers re: the complete UNFAIRNESS of the fines – have been totally dismissed by the Labour leaders.
I’m an Roadside mechanic for one of the main recovery clubs and I drove down a Bus lane with my beacons on to attend a taxi which is aloud in the bus lane. As my van is leased the lease co send bill to My company and they just pay it there and then to save the large payment and then send me an agreement to have it taken out of my wages. Lucky I knew something like this would happen so I took loads of photos at the scene. And yes you guessed I had the summons come through. I logged on to the site to see a video of myself driving down road with beacons on and getting out to attend broken down vehicle.
I stopped my company taking out of my wages. But no longer go in lanes. I park up road and walk to job and if it takes longer we’ll thats tough. But it also takes the safety aspect away from my job as my van is used to fend from oncoming traffic in breakdown situations
Not always well signposted I assure you
A couple of years ago, I was visiting family in London, and inadvertently strayed into a bus lane, while trying to negotiate the unfamiliar route in busy traffic. I was only there for a few yards, and thought nothing of it until a few weeks later when I received a bill for £130. I honestly don’t remember seeing signage warning me not to stray, but the only way to contest the charge would be to return to London, check the signage, etc., and appeal, all of which costs money in travel and time off work. Even then, I don’t know if I have a case until the appeal is heard. They offer a reduced charge if the bill is paid quickly, so I’m forced to do this to keep the cost down. In turn, the council get my money and prevent me from appealing by instilling the fear of additional cost due to the appeals process and potential failure of that appeal. This is outrageous, leaves a nasty taste in the mouth, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels like this.
Not alone at all. We are being exploited/farmed like sheep by criminals who have appointed themselves our masters.
I suspect that what we need as a society is for neighbourhoods to band together. If someone tries to steal your neighbours car because they won’t pay an immoral fine, everyone should band together to resist.
Clearly this simple step alone won’t work as they are far more organised and merciless than the ordinary people they control.
YesI think it is just money maker . A couple of years ago my wife was driving to work in Manchester at about 0830am. A car in front of her indicated to turn right into a petrol station. My wife crossed the line and partly went into the bus line (there were no busses about) She went round the car and came back out It cost her £60. Really all she was help keep traffic moving in the rush hour ,but Manchester got her days wages
Not Manchester, immoral bureaucrats took her money.
The roads here are the worst I’ve seen yet the council is stealing money hand over fist. £10 million from a short stretch of Oxford Road in a year; meanwhile there are holes in the roads everywhere I look.
Even roads which are free from holes look like crazy people went mad making patchwork patterns at different heights over the road surface.
It’s a shame the French can’t share their road-care tips with the UK.
Caught once when I mistakenly thought the Bus Lane (near Regents Park in London) wasn’t in operation on a Bank Holiday just as the congestion charge wasn’t. Costly error and.of course no traffic so.it wasn’t actually needed for the stated reason on the Bank.Holiday.
very often the bus lane ends, and because you want to turn left you move over only to find it has instantly started again! in my town there is a long lane that keeps other drivers to the right and this
lane is always full what if you breakdown? do you block the busy lane or pull in to the largely open
bus lane.as for James comment on dim wits I hope he is as clever as he thinks he is!
My wife was fined by Coventry Council for driving in a bus lane. Once again, confusing signage led to this mistake and she didn’t even realise she had made it until it was too late. Coventry council are obviously using this as a cash cow and need to drastically improve their signs.
I assume you can read James or perhaps you just enjoy handing out judgements. In my case – no warning signs, no yellow camera, no deflection arrows and no ‘Bus Lane’ script on the road.
Pure entrapment
I have seen drivers In Huddersfield wishing to turn around, and ‘accidently the bus lane starts at the traffic lights’, my wife has been caught on it! But I do wonder how the daily courier manages? I have seen him make that turn, but I am not sure if it Is a council vehicle!
Yes I did in Coventry. I was traveling down Tile Hill Lane towards the A45 signage stated Bus Lane Suspended. I crossed the A45 at the famously named malfunction junction & went straight on. A camera caught me. I appealed to the tribunal showing the signage. I won my case.
It seems that some people don’t mind a £30 fine but if it were put on the council tax they would be up in arms about it
I drive a lot in South London often in bus lanes and have never been fined, however I read the signs very carefully!
What is your point Tony? Are you proud of blatantly driving in an irresponsible way and, so far, have managed to get away with it?
Have you ever had a penalty notice for driving in a bus lane? Yes
Did you know what you were doing or were you unaware until the fine came through? I did not know I was in a bus lane until it was too late to do anything about it.
Do you think this is a cash cow for the councils and being misused? Quite possibly!
I had never driven in Cardiff centre before, and was in the bus lane before I realised. I was unable to correct the mistake and had to follow a bus through until I could turn into another street.
It was maddening! I am an experienced driver and usually very observant, so doubly annoying!
Taunton has introduced Bus Gates and the signage leading towards them is poor. Although they claim to have advertised there introduction in their local papers they omitted to inform the wider community in the County, leading to many drivers being surprised and confused when confronted with them. No information is published in the Highway Code booklet, neither in the Ministry of Transport booklet on Road Markings and Road Signs. I fully support the RAC and any other organisation in seeking clearer signs, publication of information in appropriate documents and lobbying Government to ensure Local Authorities use their powers more responsibly.
Until this article I’d never heard of “Bus Gates”. Not sure what they are even now.
A bus gate is an informational barrier at an entrance to a highly-used road which has been re-classified so that driving down it attracts fines. To ensure the scheme extracts maximum revenue from road-users, councils use poorly positioned, non-standard signage which is easily dismissed whilst paying attention to road safety.
I run a bus company and we operate only vehicles that are entitled to use bus lanes. Because these are not Red London Buses we get loads of PCN’s saying we were using a bus lane. I now have a standard reply. “Thank you for the great photo of my bus in a bus lane – where else do you expect it to be?”. PS why did you not check with the DLVA the taxation class? They off this service for free. It is BUS.
I got done on Lendal bridge in York a few years ago, along with thousands of others after the council decided to make what had been a main route out of the city a bus lane. Whilst it may have been local news, for someone not a regular visitor to the place, it was very easy to miss the signage while simply following the traffic and watching out for pedestrians. After my fine they revised the signage, which seemed to imply that it hadn’t been clear enough and eventuall I believe the whole scheme was scapped.
Also, I see that the crooks at Gateshead council have introduced 24hr bus lane cameras, even though no buses run during the night. How can that be anything other than a money making scam? LG.
Hi,Lawrence York city council reimbursed the motorists who were fined using Lendal Bridge, motorists can now use the bridge without fear of being fined.
Further to my post about Lendal bridge in York. Just found this;
Refunds were offered to drivers after a traffic adjudicator said the council had “no power” to issue fines because signage and CCTV were inadequate.
So smart…….. Jim and his “big white sign” remarks can stick that up his …….
Of course I missed the deadline for the refunds as it wasn’t widely advertised and I certainly never received a letter telling me that I was entitled to one, (as the council were suposed to do.)
I paid extra too because I was in a works van and my company promptly pay the fine PLUS the rip off charge levied by the vabn hire company for “forwarding” the notice.
Last year I had two fines, one in Cardiff and one in Portsmouth.
As an ex Cardiff resident, I too a route which I had used traditionally and realised I was in a bus lane with no option but to continue for several hundred yards. I had seen no signs indicating that the route was purely for buses.
In Portsmouth, I entered a bus lane and immediately exited it. I was in the lane for only a few yards but triggered their automatic response.
It should be apparent which motorists deliberately use bus lanes and those who accidentally enter one.
Cynically, I believe this is a means of generating revenue without distinction.
I got a bus lane fine for my partner driving down the bus lane on Christmas Day.
I was a learner driver at the time and was not aware of the law on Christmas Day.
Being that he was a qualified driver he should have known better but because the vehicle was registered in my name I had to pay the fine.
It does state in the Highway Code that the bus lane operating times are not affected by bank holidays.
I know bus lanes are used to keep the traffic flowing but it’s funny that they are only in used when extra Road is needed.
You sit in traffic and there are no buses for ages it could be used more efficiently.
There is a part of the bus lane on Putney Bridge that operates 24/7 but it doesn’t state it as you get over the bridge so if you are coming from a different angle you would not be aware of the bus lane rules.
I do think the council’s concentrate on getting money more than advising people.
Why would they want to spend money on signs telling you that the bus line is in operation when they can just get money from you.
I live in East Yorks and Hull city council fined a lady 2 weeks after the bus lanes were introduced as she pulled over to let an ambulance with blue lights and siren going pass, after an uproar and headlines in local paper she was reimbursed, they could see on the camera why she entered the bus lane but chose to still issue a penalty notice.maybe the thought they would get away with it
She should’ve stayed in her lane – let the ambulance use the bus lane
In 2016 on The Clerkenwell Road in London I pulled into a Bus Lane to let an Ambulance with its Blues & Twos going. I was in there for less than 30seconds yet I received a PCN from Camden.
I appealed and explained the situation which was backed up by photographic evidence yet the appeal was rejected.
YES THEY ARE CASH COWS and those handling Appeals need a career change
I was issued with one last year. 2 photos neither with my registration visible. One with my registration only, taken at night. I had not been in the location either. When I queried it they sent a photo taken closer, but still no reg. no. BUT it showed the make and logo of a Citroen, mine is a Peugeot. I also reported it to the police. Later it was cancelled. Everyone should be looking very closely at the Reg Numbers!!!
I was in Colchester recently and I was caught by a bus lane camera, when I watched the video I saw that the sign was immediately before the bus lane but there was no way to avoid it, there were no turn offs and there was a keep left sign leaving me with no alternative than to go down the bus lane.
Given the urgent need to fight the local powers it would be useful for Petrol Prices to provide for lobbying and defending the motorists. Those in power are misled to believe they got a mandate to act regardless of the people. Time for democracy, don’t you think
I got picked up on a camera on the way to the ferry terminal in Portsmouth early on a Saturday morning last October. It was drizzling, I didn’t know the road, although I did pull over as soon as I realised I was in a bus lane just a few yards on.
I didn’t appeal, just paid up and put it down to experince
London is a s***hole overall. Plus cameras. Got 100 fine in a yellow box on kings road. Cut up by a cabbie from near side lane heading west to Earl’s Court NO APPEAL. PERIOD 2007.
Avoid bus lanes even with coaches even with London guides