To think this is excessive? Driving penalty

[brightbluegentian]

I’ve had a penalty in the post. Just to be clear, I did it, I will pay up and have no legal grounds to appeal... but AIBU to think the road layout is confusing and the infringement not the most serious?

I mistakenly went on a bus lane to turn left when it appears I should have taken the parallel left turn.

The words BUS in HUGE letters give it away. Those letters would have been visible from quite a distance away and if you were looking ahead as you are meant to when you are driving you’d have seen them. If you are not familiar with the road even more reason to look ahead and take better care

Those letters would have been visible from quite a distance away if there were no vehicles driving on that bit of road.

I got a fine in a similar circumstance, I thought this was the same junction for a moment! Similarly to this, it’s super obvious when seen from the point of view of the camera, but approaching in a car it’s not at all obvious until it’s too late. I didn’t bother appealing.

@DaughterX

Yes they are huge - they are also around the corner from the main road.

I am going to have a look again and see what road markings there were before the turning.

I can see how that would easily catch you out, and how once you’re committed you can’t really do anything, can you?

What an absolutely ridiculous little bit of road.

I know exactly where that is. My husband got the same fine. It’s ridiculous.

Looks clear to me. yabu

I'm lieing, just looked at pic thats ridiculous and needs changing.

@DaveMinion

I know exactly where that is. My husband got the same fine. It’s ridiculous.

And me! (Place beginning with C?) I paid my fine last month for my jaunt down the shortest bus lane in the world.

Pain int he back side prob would have done the same

It looks like it could be misleading from the approach depending on signposting. While negotiating a roundabout, you may not notice BUS until you have commenced the manouver and then it is too late (and expensive) to correct.

Annoyingly with the give way markings you've gained no advantage from the experience either.

It is an odd layout. I've not seen one coming off the roundabout, but have encountered similar going into the roundabout shortly after a bus stop which is easy enough to "read"

Died the road slope down towards the camera as that would mean you wouldn’t see the Writing until you were on it?

If it begins with C and is in London my DH also got caught on it. We didn’t know the area at all and with moving traffic, changing lanes and taking directions from the sat nav we also felt it was a set up.

YANBU

There’s one near us that catches people out all the time and if you’re not local you’re a real cash cow! It’s not the same as yours but basically the road changes into a bus lane for about 10 metres and then back again. So weird. Unless you know about it in advance it’s so easy to get caught. You have my sympathies but I think you’ll have to chalk this one up to experience.

From the angle of the photos, it looks quite clear but I can see how you made the error as you approached it. Annoying, what a bummer. :( How much is the fine??

Can you tell us where it is OP. If it’s London then it’s not goin* to be too outing.
I want to look at it on street view. There is a similar junction near Waterloo Bridge.

If I have to take an alternative route home there are bus lanes sometimes on left and sometimes on right so confusing in the dark I've luckily managed to avoid them

YANBU, I would put in an appeal and take photos of the signage. I doubt you'll get anywhere but worth a go. . If you're unfamiliar with the road layout, and your expecting to turn left, it looks like the exit. The writing in the road is inadequate, are you supposed to stop and reverse out once you've committed to the turn then see the writing?

I live near a town that has the biggest money making cameras in the UK for a VERY confusing road system. bus lanes, combined with one way roads for certain vehicles only, changing hourly restrictions and confusingly they change whether you can turn left or right. It's bonkers! Council have admitted it brings income of hundreds of thousands of pounds every year. Eugh.

If you go back, you'll find a small sign on the left, probably completely obscured if you are behind a lorry or bus. There's one very short bus lane like this in Reading I got caught out on, somewhen over the last 20 years or so since I last went straight on they've turned straight on into a bus lane that fits 1 bus behind the traffic lights., the bus you are following at snail pace, so you do not see the sign on a pole at the height of the upstairs of the double decker explaining that straight on is now bus lane, and you have to go left. This is because it is obscured by the bus as you approach. You also cannot see the road markings (as the bus is on the bit that says Bus Lane ) till the bus has moved on, by which time it is too late as there is an island on your left so you cannot go left.

I think there should be some law that if numerous motorists end up making the same mistakes again and again and again that the councils involved should be forced to improve the signage. At the moment there is a massive financial incentive for councils to have as poor signs as possible.
A one minute google threw up this example in Lambeth where 30,000 motorists have accidentally used a short stretch of bus lane. Surely this suggests there might be something wrong with the road lay out.

yes it begins with a C... between a housing estate and an industrial estate. It seems that even in this little thread multiple people have been caught out there. Might be worth investigating?

When I was caught on camera there, I was following a detour due to road closure on the route I normally take - I was very surprised to be detoured off left at that point and guess a part of my brain was processing that instead of looking at the bus lane. Very annoying. (Yes, OP, the same C location! )

Well I went back to look and noticed 2 things. There is a sign for the bus lane but it is about 9 feet off the ground and it’s right on the junction ( it’s tiny so can’t read it from a distance). From the low driving position in my car it is easy to miss unless you know it’s there and are looking out for it.

Also from the angle of view in my car all the writing on the road which is so clear in the photos is just a mass of white. Impossible to read what it says before turning the corner.

So basically unless you are driving a big vehicle or already know the junction it is impossible to see until you are committed to the turn.

I think I will at least try appealing on those grounds.

There are 4 signs on the approach warning that the left turn is width restricted... but nothing to show that there is also a bus lane

Have you posted on pepippoo the parking forum?
If they can’t help you nobody can their knowledge of appeals and their zeal for victory is very impressive