PCN Wrong side of sign

[TROOPER88]

Hi Chaps
Myself and a work colleague have both received a PCN from Wandsworth Council for the same offence.

You can see the actual PCN below.

Doverhouse Road is a straight road circa 1.5 miles long with circa 4 bus stops along its length.

I have overtaken a bus which was stopped at one of the stops. it appears that rather than coming back on to the correct side of the road immediately after the bus, I have continued in the right hand lane to far and entered back into my lane after the bollard that has a left arrow on.

Now I know this road very well. On two of the bus stops I feel that there is inadequate room after the bus stop and before the bollard to allow a safe manovere back into the left lane.

With regard to the exact location of my contravention, if one was to overtake the bus and as you did so the bus began to pull away this could make it dangerous to enter back into the correct lane before the bollard.

As I pointed out this is a long straight road which therefore means you can overtake very safely as you have a clear view of the road ahead.

This was not a dangerous manoeuvre, it was sincerely carried out to overtake the bus in what I thought was a safe fashion.

Pay up or challenge?

Thank you

[gazza285]

TROOPER88 said:

Now I know this road very well. On two of the bus stops I feel that there is inadequate room after the bus stop and before the bollard to allow a safe manovere back into the left lane.

If you know there is inadequate room for the manoeuvre then why didn't you wait behind the bus?

[TROOPER88]

gazza285 said:

If you know there is inadequate room for the manoeuvre then why didn't you wait behind the bus?

A) the bus could have been stopped there for sometime
B) why wait when you can see perfectly well that there is nothing coming the other way?

[Devil2575]

Pay up.

[gazza285]

TROOPER88 said:

Why wait when you can see perfectly well that there is nothing coming the other way?

Because this...

[Byff]

TROOPER88 said:

Now I know this road very well. On two of the bus stops I feel that there is inadequate room after the bus stop and before the bollard to allow a safe manovere back into the left lane.

The island/bus stops are strategically placed to create as much obstruction as possible.

[tex200]

TROOPER88 said:

B) why wait when you can see perfectly well that there is nothing coming the other way?

That keep left sign isn't optional - pay up.

[Nickyboy]

You've passed the island on the wrong side, contravening section 38 of the Road Traffic Act. You committed an offence

[TallPaul]

Byff said:

The island/bus stops are strategically placed to create as much obstruction as possible.

Exactly, its all about giving the bus as much priority as possible, cars cant pass due to the bollards so the bus can pull away easily. Its the same reason the bus stops are now on the road and not in a little layby.
I know Dover House Rd, those speedhumps are very aggressive!

[SS2.]

Nickyboy said:

You've passed the island on the wrong side, contravening section 38 of the Road Traffic Act.

The Highway Code ?

[CoolHands]

I didn't know councils could police this offence. Where is a list of what traffic laws councils can profit from?

[Riley Blue]

Is that a pedestrian refuge in the middle of the road? It's a bit difficult to be sure from the righthand photo but there seems to be a dropped kerb between the two bollards on the pavement. With the bus stopped, any pedestrians crossing in front of it wouldn't be expecting a van to be passing from right to left.

[TROOPER88]

Riley Blue said:

Is that a pedestrian refuge in the middle of the road? It's a bit difficult to be sure from the righthand photo but there seems to be a dropped kerb between the two bollards on the pavement. With the bus stopped, any pedestrians crossing in front of it wouldn't be expecting a van to be passing from right to left.

No
Speeds bumps

I appreciate what every one is saying and grateful for everyone's input.

I

[herewego]

The third picture shows something to the left of the bollard. It looks like a bus that must be driving down the road which means you have overtaken a moving bus the wrong side of a bollard on what appears to be a zebra crossing.

[PorkInsider]

CoolHands said:

I didn't know councils could police this offence. Where is a list of what traffic laws councils can profit from?

That's the most striking thing about the case; I didn't know that councils got involved in such things.

[SS2.]

CoolHands said:

I didn't know councils could police this offence. Where is a list of what traffic laws councils can profit from?

A list of standard PCN Contravention Codes can be downloaded here (PDF).

[4rephill]

herewego said:

The third picture shows something to the left of the bollard. It looks like a bus that must be driving down the road which means you have overtaken a moving bus the wrong side of a bollard on what appears to be a zebra crossing.

I think the third picture actually shows the bus that the OP couldn't be arsed to wait behind, stationary at the bus stop.

There's no zebra crossing by the looks of it, there's a speed bump in the road and dropped curbs to give pedestrians access to cross to a pedestrian reservation in the middle of the road.

As already mentioned, the layout is blatantly designed to stop vehicles coming around the bus, and instead leaves them forced to sit and wait for the bus to move off, giving the bus an element of priority.

Fair play to the OP, having read the replies to his post he's realised that he's bang to rights on this one.

[Red Devil]

TROOPER88 said:

gazza285 said:

If you know there is inadequate room for the manoeuvre then why didn't you wait behind the bus?

A) the bus could have been stopped there for sometime

Tough.

Many local authorities deliberately conjoin bus stops and central islands as a no-cost traffic calming measure.
Learn to live with it or campaign to get it changed.

TROOPER88 said:

B) why wait when you can see perfectly well that there is nothing coming the other way?

At the risk of stating the obvious, because you risk getting a PCN.

More importantly because people getting off the bus may cross the road via the pedestrian refuge.
Their primary concentration will be on traffic coming from the left, not people from the right making DWDCA manoeuvres.

Zero sympathy. Pay it.

TallPaul said:

Its the same reason the bus stops are now on the road and not in a little layby.
I know Dover House Rd, those speedhumps are very aggressive!

It's quite some time since I lived in the area, but when did Dover House Road ever have bus laybys?
It also has a mandatory 20mph limit - https://goo.gl/maps/XAh8cFixUB22
In fact that limit applies to the whole area bounded by Putney Heath/Roehampton Lane/S. Circular Road/Putney Hill.
It wouldn't surprise me to find that the OP treats that with the same contempt as he does the keep left sign.

Riley Blue said:

Is that a pedestrian refuge in the middle of the road? It's a bit difficult to be sure from the righthand photo but there seems to be a dropped kerb between the two bollards on the pavement.

Yes, and yes: all of them on that road do.

[anonymous-user]

Ok the op might of slipped up but how does that warrant a fine of £130??
Thieving bds!

[TROOPER88]

Thanks again

It seems a fair cop so I'll pay the £65