Can you contest- If bus lane signs were blocked by a bus?
Can you contest- If bus lane signs were blocked by a bus?
Author
Discussion

ITVRI

Original Poster:

199 posts

212 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
I received a ticket for being in a bus lane. I've never had one for this type of offence before and it was an honest mistake but a mistake based on not being able to clearly see any road signs or markings.
Does anyone know or has heard if you can successfully contest a PCN for this type of offence, if you could prove that while following a bus, the bus lane signs were unable to be seen and traffic ahead blocked any road markings?
I know for parking tickets that if signage is missing or covered, and you can prove it you will likely succeed on appeal.

I'm contesting based on inadequate signage alerting me to a bus lane being present, using footage shot from a camera in my work van and the orginal CCTV footage to support my case.


KungFuPanda

4,642 posts

200 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
No.

ITVRI

Original Poster:

199 posts

212 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
Can you advise what your opinion is based on.........? Road code? Experience? Knowledge of the the law ? Common sense?

Really need a bit more than just "NO"

Edited by ITVRI on Monday 4th July 06:38

Dr Mike Oxgreen

4,466 posts

195 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
So you're saying that you couldn't see road signs because you were following a bus too closely?

ITVRI

Original Poster:

199 posts

212 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
I would not say too closely. . It was a 20mph area and the bus was slowing. I was looking to pass so slightly more to the right.
This bus lane collects 25000 PCNs a year as compared to other bus lanes in the borough which average 300 per year. ( figures from public info request from another website).

Yes I may be clutching at straws but if I cannot see any signs (i.e. inadequate signage) when using a road in a normal manor why should I be held account for moving into the lane.

25000 infringements per year sort of suggests it's a bus lane that causes confusion to the general motorist. .

Orillion

177 posts

195 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
ITVRI said:
Yes I may be clutching at straws but if I cannot see any signs (i.e. inadequate signage) when using a road in a normal manor why should I be held account for moving into the lane.
Could we have a Street View link, please?

ITVRI

Original Poster:

199 posts

212 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
OK. I'm going to go out on a limb here and bare all. I've made a video that I intend to show to the adjudicator as part of my evidence. It's definitely not professional but it's my version of events reenacted.
Make of it what you will. It's made up of 2 visits down the road behind and beside a bus and the orginal Cctv footage.

Here's the link
Link removed


For the link above you will come to a my cloud page click on the 3 dots at the top right to reveal video file.

And here's the link for google maps

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Clapham+Park+R...

The reason I made the video is because anyone looking at google maps will see the road is clear and signs showing a bus lane.
Please give me some proper feedback based on similar experience, law, road code. Not "no" or "clutching at straws"

Edited by ITVRI on Monday 4th July 08:13


Edited by ITVRI on Monday 4th July 09:15

tony wright

1,042 posts

280 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
Link doesn't work for me.

tony wright

1,042 posts

280 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
Link doesn't work for me.

ITVRI

Original Poster:

199 posts

212 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
Sorry link a bit slow. I will try place on another site. When you click it you should see a my cloud site with an a loading symbol. In 15 to 20 seconds the symbol should disappear and then you click on the three dots at the top of the page

covboy

2,593 posts

204 months

Monday 4th July 2016
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That page is telling me to update my firmware through a link. Sorry not touching it with a bargepole !

Markbarry1977

5,083 posts

133 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
Here's an idea. Upload it to YouTube, it's a pretty trusted video site that doesn't require all this faffing about and then we can give you proper feedback.

ITVRI

Original Poster:

199 posts

212 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
I have removed the link and will re-post with YouTube or similar

ITVRI

Original Poster:

199 posts

212 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
I have removed the link and will re-post with YouTube or similar

smashie

685 posts

181 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
Looking at google maps, but having not seen your video, there is a blue sign before the bus lane and there is no bus stop there, so I fail to see how you missed it. There is also one once you have just gotten to the bus lane. Only if there is a bus in the bus lane would you miss the one that is next tot he bus lane, however at that point you should not be in that lane anyway. The one before the bus lane you still have to drive past and should have been plenty of warning.
I am of course assuming that the location you have provided is correct and you are travelling up Clapham Park Road with the King &Co on your right hand side.

Seesure

1,230 posts

269 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
Forget it....

IIRC your are talking about Lambeth....

In my experience I have never had to deal with any council less suited for controlling the public purse...

Trying to get to speak to anyone who understands the issue and who has any authority is impossible...

Unless you are some bleeding heart nutcase you don't have a chance....

ITVRI

Original Poster:

199 posts

212 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
Yes Google maps is not helpful in this case. That's why I made the video. When you add normal traffic flow it's a slightly different story and when you add following a bus you can't see the signs of your the car following.
I didn't follow the bus directly into the lane,I passed it as it was slowing, and indicating left, which obstructed my view of the second sign. ( I hadn't visited this road before )I later moved back into the bus lane as I believed it was the lane for turning left at the junction.

I will Post the video tonight And you can tell me......

Greendubber

15,341 posts

233 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
So you're defence is that you were following a bus so couldnt see the sign?

Good luck with that one!

mph1977

12,467 posts

198 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
Orillion said:
ITVRI said:
Yes I may be clutching at straws but if I cannot see any signs (i.e. inadequate signage) when using a road in a normal manor why should I be held account for moving into the lane.
Could we have a Street View link, please?
far too likely to show the different coloured surfacing and/or solid demarcation lines ...

ITVRI

Original Poster:

199 posts

212 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
Greendubber said:
So you're defence is that you were following a bus so couldnt see the sign?

Good luck with that one!
That's right COULD NOT.
Why can't I use this as a defence? I can prove that the signage is not suitable when following a bus by showing a video following a bus to that intersection the signs prohibiting me from entering the bus lane are not visible. This intersection with bus lane captures 60 people per day going into it.
There are a lot of other things that can be done to inform motorists that it is a bus lane like painting the road a different colour, providing signs on the island ahead at the top of the intersection, providing signs under the turn left arrow at the lights , installing a raised island or rumble strip