Bus lane fine

[Mugon]

I expect it's all my fault and I'll pay up.

However, I knew when I was in the bus lane because it was written on the road, but by then it was too late. The photo shows me driving into the bus lane but doesn't show any signs to indicate it was starting (only the writing on the road) and I remember saying when I realised what I'd done, that I didn't think there been any signage.

Probably it's me, I missed it and should pay, but I'd like to appeal and ask them to show me what I missed. I was away on holiday, so can't pop back to check myself. At the least, I think it was probably one of those situations where it's not that clear if you don't know the road layout - there was one in our town where all fines were cancelled for the first 6 months because the signage wasn't clear enough.

Anyway, they've included details of the appeals process, but the fine is £70, £35 if paid within 28 days, but £105 if I use the appeals process unsuccessfully.

How can it be Ok to practically force people not to even try and appeal?

Can you pin drop on Google maps and check street view?

The onus is on YOU to show that there was not sufficient signage OP, you’d need to provide proof of that yourself to appeal. They have their evidence, you in a bus lane, if you want to dispute that then you need to do that yourself.

It might help if you add where the bus lane was as locals may be able to advise.

Get caught out by a bus lane restriction once and it’s amazing how vigilant you become. As @Yummybread says, check out Google maps.

OK, but either way, my AIBU is about the way they use increased fines to deter people from appealing.

It doesn’t deter genuine people from appealing, it just prevents everybody putting through pointless appeals as a way of buying time.

If you have a genuine appeal & proof then this isn’t a deterrent, if you know you’ve got your evidence then you have nothing to worry about.

I agree with the PP. Go onto Google maps and retrace that part of your journey.

If there are no signs indicating a bus lane is starting until you are actually in it, you might have a chance if appeal.

Double check the time you were there as well. A lot of the ones near me are only bus lanes mon-fri 7am-10am, and 4pm to 6pm for example.

If they didn't, then EVERYBODY would appeal EVERYTHING and the system would be totally clogged up.

It deters time wasters and general Twattery.

I got done in a bus lane (came out of a side road onto a main road that had a bus lane, into the regular car lane and then moved across into the bus lane a bit too early for a junction - the rear wheels of my car crossed the solid white line and the camera picked me up) . My point is, I used street view to check the signage on the approach road was in place. It was a small sign about the size of an A3 sheet of paper. That's all that's needed by law - so check but don't be surprised if you see something similar.

The bus lanes in my city are acknowledged by all locally as council as a money-making scheme . The coucil rakes in millions from enforcing bus lanes every year - the local rag does FOI requests every now and again and runs articles about it. If they genuinely were "to enhance traffic flows and improve safety" as the council suggests, there'd be massive flashing signs at relevant points warning people about the lanes, not teeny little signs tucked away where people miss them. So don't feel bad about getting caught out!

Where was the bus lane @Mugon , which road?
it can’t be that “outing” if it’s a holiday destination and you don’t live there

Someone has to pay the cost of the appeal though, it's not free. If you appeal and that is upheld you don't pay. In your case you are unlikely to win an appeal as they have a picture and and the road WAS marked. You would only be able to appeal if the road had been dug up and the marking were missing or something.

We have a bus lane locally that regularly pops up in our local paper with people who have driven down it claiming they'll never visit our town again after getting fines. They have to drive past 3 signs and a no left turn sign on the traffic lights at the junction, not to mention the change of colour in the road and the 12 foot sign clearly showing the parking is a right turn at the next roundabout. Makes me wonder about their driving skills tbh.

I suspect your chances of a successful appeal are slim. I’ve appealed twice against our local London council (about parking permits and a badly signposted temporary suspension). Both were clearly incorrectly given. First appeal was unsuccessful so I escalated and involved local councillor. Success! The second I provided a detailed plan, and quoted legal requirements for temporary signage…success. They’d also got my number plate wrong so that may have helped.

Yes they are money making schemes, but it’s hard to appeal successfully.

People should only appeal if they have grounds to appeal. You clearly do not.

Why "clearly"? I mean, you're probably right, but there's nothing in the photos that makes that "clear".

It's Station Gate in Colchester. I can see there have been lots of complaints in the local paper about unclear signage. I can't see that the council have accepted that.

Different council but look up Zoe Bread on X and Tiktok. She's got tonnes of videos about Manchester City Council doing the same thing with misleading signage (and found data showing a huge spike in fine income when the signs became more misleading). Mostly parking but also bus lanes.

Latest update I saw was she did a govt petition, asking for the law to be tightened up about misleading signs. Afaik the govt basically responded that the councils currently get the veto about whether or not signs are misleading. Well yes, that's what she said in the petition, and why she asked for the rules/laws to be tightened up

Doesn't really help you but this is definitely a 'thing'. Imo signage when you're actually driving (as opposed to already parked up and able to look at signs more carefully) needs to have no room for interpretation or misunderstanding, and if there is any scope for confusion then they need to waive the fine and tighten up the signs. They don't want to though, because £££.

Becsue in your OP you have said ‘probably it’s me’ and mentioned maybe missing it. If you don’t have concrete evidence you would be wasting your time

It’s so easy to get caught out if you don’t know the area. I got one in a city. I still don’t know how, there were no markings on the road. My DH says it’s the whole street so signage is before u enter but I didn’t notice anything. Maybe I had looked at the sat nav though and missed it. Car is leased and company didn’t pay within the 7 days to get it discounted so it cost me over £100! They just pay it and debit it from ur account 😦 im sure it will be in the t&cs of the lease.

I wouldn’t waste ur time, u will still need to pay it unfortunately.

"Clearly" because you knew it was a bus lane. You said it was written in the road. The camera will be positioned in such a way that they know you were in the bus lane. Signage is irrelevant in that context. It's obvious by the road markings it's a bus lane. If you get a fine for turning right where the road markings are obvious there is no right turning allowed, would you argue that because you didn't see any signage before you turned right?

Yes, but I didn't know that until I was in it.

I'm sure you're all right and there was some signage, but whatever it was, it wasn't sufficient for me, a generally careful and contentious driver to have noticed it in time to do something about it.

Whatever the case, if I check to see exactly what was there and then decide to appeal on the grounds that signage was inadequate, I'll likely lose (because the council gets the final say) and then have to pay the increased fine.

It doesn't seem like a good system to me.

There isn't a Station gate in Colchester by the way. Is it Crown gate or Balkerne gate?

Well I don't know. That's what it says on the letter 😆

Does it give you a Road name, we could look it up?

I can also see your argument with appealing but if you have your evidence you have nothing to lose. If we see a warning sign of bus lane then you know there’s no point in appealing as you won’t win.

I appealed when I got a
finw in Birmingham with the ULEZ (or whatever it’s called in Brum) because it was brand new and literally no signs … fine if you’re a resident and have heard and complained against it but we were not from the area and it was upheld - so do appeal if you really think there were no signs