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?

A few years ago I was driving in Cardiff for the first time and completely unfamiliar with my surroundings. I went round a bend and there was absolutely nowhere to go other than in the bus lane for approximately 100 metres before I was able to cut in and join the traffic in the normal lane.

I got a fine and duly paid it.

A little while after a post appeared on my Facebook about the exact same part of the road and it was lots of people (well over a hundred) saying they had also been forced into that stretch of bus lane and had been fined!

They had made a group about it and were trying to g go fight it.

I didn’t join it as I had a lot on at the time but was annoyed that the fine was just a big money making exercise.

I think the scale of fines there are broadly fine, it's s not like it's £50 if you own up and £2k if you appeal and lose which would put off anyone from risking appealing even if you were certain you were in the right.

Fines are essentially a way of dealing with infractions without resorting to going to court, and a reduction of 50% for an early guilty plea (paying straight away) and a 50% increase for unsuccessfully contesting the matter thus using up time and resources is probably in the region of what a court would do for similar levels of offences.

In Preston there is a 'Bus Gate'
Which raises a lot of money for Preston council.

Swindon? If it is I know exactly the bus lane you’re talking about and the huge amount of signage that people manage not to see!!

I agree with this. I got done for being in a bus lane at 17.58 (bus lane is 4-6pm) You can see from the picture, the angle of my vehicle, the indicator on, I was changing lanes to turn left at the junction that was about 20 yards ahead and I’d moved over about 2 seconds too early. I appealed but they rejected it. The bus lane is about half a mile long but the camera is right before the bit where there is a junction. Definitely about making money.

There's one near us that brings in many many thousands for the council every year. We got stung when DD was a learner driver and just reacted to my husband's instruction to change lane a bit quicker than he expected. They say they have discretion - she was clearly a learner driver in the pics, she moved over a few metres early, that's all. I thought it was really mean and unnecessary of them.

However, £35 is half a tank of petrol. Just pay it and move on. Don't waste any more time or money on it than you have to.

I seem to pick up a bus lane fine every time I drive to Manchester. My former tenant (local to the city) seems to have a similar problem, because I was forwarding the v distinctive envelopes to him for weeks after his tenancy ended! It has put me off going there tbh. I have been driving in cities for over 30 years and have entirely managed to avoid bus lane fines for that whole time, which rather suggests it's a money-making racket and/or designed to keep motorists away.

There is a page on the council website that shows all the bus lane / bus gate locations and has photos of the location/signage and drive through videos, which may help you decide whether to appeal or not. Although when I looked at some they weren’t as well positioned or obvious as they could be. They can probably argue the signage is there but some of it could be better.
https://www.essexhighways.org/bus-lane-enforcement#locations

Could you check on google maps (go onto street view) and see what the road is called according to google maps (if you remember where you wet).

I bet it’s north station road Colchester, barely there markings for bus lane and unclear signage. People have been complaining about that for years, if you’re new to the area then it is confusing. I don’t think I blame you OP. I would definitely try to appeal x although you will probably lose. The coucil won’t do anything about it :( it brings in hundreds of thousands in fines

The "discount" reflects the costs to the taxpayers of having to deal with the extra cost of an appeal.

It's also common in criminal cases too - people who admit fault and save the costs of a trial often receive lesser sentences.

You can still appeal. They ‘pause’ the fine. They only increase for non-payment.

I successfully appealed a bus lane fine. I was in a city I didn't know well and the weather was atrocious (you could see the rain coming down in stair rods on the photo). My appeal was based on the fact that I didn't know the city, the poor visibility, lack of clear signage and that I moved out of the bus lane as soon as I realised I was in it. I think if you're not a local you probably have a better chance of a successful appeal. Good luck!

They're trying to deter people who have no grounds to appeal from wasting their time or trying their luck. Processing, investigating and responding an appeal takes time and resources, so it needs to be paid for.

You should only appeal if you are certain the fine was issued in error, and can prove it.

There was a bus lane in Cambridge that both dd1 and dd2 got caught out with turning into a Tescos. It was very unclear where the bus lane finished and the turning bit started especially with the traffic. I believe it has been changed now as it really was a massive money maker!

Df got caught in one in Oxford and he realised straight away but the only way he could get back was to go in another bus lane- so 2 fines!

There is more than likely signage, there has to be, how clear it is, is another question. Use Google maps street view to check in the run up to the bus lane.

The other half ended up in a bus route when driving in a new town and the sign was blocked by a bus he found on his dash cam and was able to appeal but that was probably lucky coincidence and the appeal person feeling generous that got rid of that one.

Do you have a dash cam to check?

I thought if you appealed the timer on how much you pay is paused till you have an outcome????? Is it not? Never needed to appealmone myself personally

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0kj1zrkp20o

Preston Bus gate generates £1m in fines in three months

https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/24797698.thousands-drivers-fined-poor-parking-bus-lane-use/
Swindon
Many of the 23,225 penalty charge notices sent to people spotted by bus lane cameras and camera cars around the Swindon borough between April 2023 and April 2024 came from the same road – 13,761 from a zone known as ‘Penzance Drive 1’ and 3,340 more from ‘Penzance Drive 2’.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-67766818
Manchester bus lane fines make £10m from one city street

Sounds like a lot of hassle and stress for the sake of £35 tbh. I know that’s what they hope people say, but I just couldn’t be bothered with it.

DH got caught In Reading once.

its hard when you don’t know area well

so sorry OP

Sorry, OP! Yes, it sucks. I was once driving through an unfamiliar area and processed the 'no cars between 07:00-09:00' sign a second too late. Hit the brakes and reversed back up the road, but council said I'd gone past the signs (I had, by about half a metre) and wouldn't waive the fine. It was 08:55, too. 🤷

I also got fined for driving in a bus lane.When I went back to check, it was well signed. but only up on stands and at the point where the traffic was incredibly busy. I was too busy watching the cars coming at me from all directions to be reading signs above my head!

I paid up, but now refuse to drive anywhere in that region now because they are constantly changing where the lanes are and I can't guarantee that I'll see the signs in time.

Yeah, the Swindon one, as a pp mentioned above, has multiple massive signs warning that you can't turn unless you're a bus, the tarmac is red. It couldn't be more obvious, so how that can be "a money making scheme" for the council I don't know. If people used their eyes and brains when driving (rather than just seeing a car park and mindlessly taking the first turning they see), it wouldn't happen and there'd be no money to be made.

Drivers in London win over half of appeals against bus lane fares. I am not a driver but I admire the tenacity of people who spend time and money on this!

As others have said, have a look on Google and do a street view search. You can literally 'travel' along the street to see what's there. If you think you have grounds to appeal based on insufficient signage, I would be tempted to get advice from Legal Beagles first - it's a forum where people can ask questions on topics such as this and you will get some sound advice. I was able to successfully appeal a PCN using guidance from some very knowledgeable people on there. Good luck.