Reply to: Got done for a bus lane violation.

[Fred Bloggs]

I'm waiting to see if I get done by a camera for something I did last week. Dropped someone off on in the drop-off area between St Pancras and Kings Cross, then made a U-turn to get back to Euston Road.

Afterwards checking if that really was the right drop-off area for Kings Cross I found that the road was one-way for ordinary vehicles, the queue of black taxis lining up in the opposite direction on the Kings Cross side of the road was just there to help fool you.

As far as I can tell using Google streetview, there's no way someone who entered the road from the south could have known that a U-turn would have him breaking the selective one-way rule. There is a sign on the north entrance to the road that only taxis may enter, from that direction.

Sound grounds for appeal then, I think.

[d000hg]

Does the "clingfoil over the reg plate" trick still work (if it ever did) ?

Dunno. But taking the plate off works. Or get a digital one you can program in from inside the car.

[IR35 Avoider]

I'm waiting to see if I get done by a camera for something I did last week. Dropped someone off on in the drop-off area between St Pancras and Kings Cross, then made a U-turn to get back to Euston Road.

Afterwards checking if that really was the right drop-off area for Kings Cross I found that the road was one-way for ordinary vehicles, the queue of black taxis lining up in the opposite direction on the Kings Cross side of the road was just there to help fool you.

As far as I can tell using Google streetview, there's no way someone who entered the road from the south could have known that a U-turn would have him breaking the selective one-way rule. There is a sign on the north entrance to the road that only taxis may enter, from that direction.

[Ruprect]

Thanks Paddy.

You're welcome

[Fred Bloggs]

Thanks Paddy.

[Paddy]

My own fault, because I'm stranger to an area I was in all last week (not far from Wembley) and I got a penalty notice this morning relating to last Monday night. It looks like when turning left in the car at a round about, I drove into a bus lane for about 5 or 8 yards (I guess) in error when making the left turn. What a plonker I am, but now I have to sit to see how many more "mistakes" I made last week. Could turn out to be an expensive week if any more of these turn up over the next few days. I never realised that councils had cameras focussed on catching otherwise innocent folk like this. How naive I am.

The 20 metre rule - The guidelines for enforcement of bus lanes in London (and we suspect elsewhere) state that the operator should observe a vehicle travelling along a bus lane for at least 20 metres before he issues a Penalty Charge Notice. We hear of many instances where vehicles receive a penalty charge notice when they have clearly not travelled along a bus lane for 20 meters. For example simply cutting off the end of a bus lane or not able to avoid the first couple of metres or swinging in and out when a car in front suddenly stops. Councils are aware of this guideline but quite often ignore it. If you have received a PCN in these circumstances you should immediately write to the local council and point out that they did not operate within the guidelines. You could even complain to the local government ombudsman. There is also something called the crossover exemption and the adjudicators have also mentioned the 20 metre rule in relation to this exemption. (see cases below) 20 Metres is approximately 5 car lengths. There are exceptions for example if the bus lane itself is less than 20 meters long.

Did you simply turn left across a Bus Lane - You are allowed to turn left across a bus lane and to enter the bus lane shortly before the turn. provided the left turn itself is permitted. Bus Lanes should either have a broken white line (on major turnings) before a junction or a gap in the solid white line (on minor junctions). The broken white line should start at least 30 metres before a major junction or the solid white line should stop at least 10 metres short of a minor junction. You should appeal if you simply made a permitted left turn across a Bus Lane and did not travel in it for 20 metres or more or if the broken or solid line is not set back. Local authorities should not enforce an incorrectly marked bus lane which we understand could be a criminal offence if the signs are also incorrect.. Also either a bus lane is marked correctly or it is not. If it is not then the whole bus lane is, in our opinion, unenforceable.

http://www.buslanes.com/bus-lanes/me...ds-for-appeal/

[Ruprect]

Write a letter to appeal it. Cite road safety or some such. They'll usually let you off first time if you bother appealing.

[OwlHoot]

What you want to do is drive a foreign registered car.

Does the "clingfoil over the reg plate" trick still work (if it ever did) ?

[Fred Bloggs]

What you want to do is drive a foreign registered car.

Yes, I'm really sore about this issue, I've never had any motoring offence in >30 years of driving. I'm still wondering how many more of these little surprises are going to drop through my door this next week while I'm darn sarf. Needless to say, I'm staying in a different area closer to the office this week.

[NotAllThere]

What you want to do is drive a foreign registered car.

I particularly like the effect when I drive my car in Cambridgeshire, where I can see a flash in my rear view mirror every 200 yards.

[threaded]

What you want to do is drive a foreign registered car.

[Fred Bloggs]

If it's any consolation, I made that journey daily (it was my commute) for a couple of years and only ever got busted once.

Most of the time, I'm sure I never strayed into the bus lane at all but I'm sure there must have been a few dozen times I did and of those occasions, I was only busted once so, based on those odds, you should be OK.

Thanks fingers crossed then!

[MarillionFan]

You should go on to the consumer action group, tell them your from CUK and that I sent you.

They'll bend over backwards to help!

[swamp]

Never had a bus lane ticket. I don't drive in them unless I've read the little blue signs.

In London, if you're careful, you can expect a ticket of some sort every couple of years. It's just a £25 a year tax. The best plan is to pay up immediately for the 1/2 price discount and forget about it. Why boil your own piss, so to speak?

The good news is that London-style traffic tickets are coming to a small/skint/badly run council near you soon.

[Clippy]

That's exactly what's happened and I'm thinking that I can expect some more of these over the next few days. They must do this on purpose as revenue raisers.

If it's any consolation, I made that journey daily (it was my commute) for a couple of years and only ever got busted once.

Most of the time, I'm sure I never strayed into the bus lane at all but I'm sure there must have been a few dozen times I did and of those occasions, I was only busted once so, based on those odds, you should be OK.