£5000 fine for using Olympic VIP lane
Discussion
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1838469,00.html
[quote=TimesOnline]Drivers face £5,000 penalty for using Olympic VIP lanes
Dipesh Gadher, Transport Correspondent
MOTORISTS who dare to stray into VIP lanes reserved for athletes and officials at the 2012 London Olympics face penalties of up to £5,000 under special powers sanctioned by the government.
As many as 55,000 members of the “Olympic family”, including ministers, media and corporate sponsors, will be able to sweep past other traffic in scenes reminiscent of Moscow’s politburo-only Zil lanes.
The lanes, linking sports venues across the capital, are likely to operate between 6.30am and midnight. They will be policed by cameras and enforcement officers.
Ordinary drivers will be herded into the remaining lanes, prompting fears of gridlock — and those who try to break out will be hit with severe penalties.
According to the London Olympics Bill, which passed its committee stage in the Commons last week, motorists who enter the VIP lanes, or infringe the new Olympic Route Network (ORN) in any other way, face a maximum penalty of £5,000 and a criminal record. This is five times the maximum penalty for most offences under the Road Traffic Offenders Act, such as failing to stop at a red light.
Although motorists will initially be issued with a fixed penalty notice of a lower value — to be set by a new Olympic Delivery Authority — the bill allows them to be prosecuted if they refuse or fail to pay and fined up to £5,000.
By contrast, straying into a bus lane in London is currently a civil offence with a maximum fine of £150, which can be recovered by bailiffs.
“One would expect draconian sanctions like this for serious road safety breaches rather than technical breaches of regulations,” said Paul Watters, head of roads policy at the AA Motoring Trust. “Why should a simple mistake cost someone up to £5,000?”
The dedicated lanes, part of the 150-mile ORN, will give priority to competitors and bigwigs such as Tessa Jowell, the culture secretary.
They will be transported daily in 2,500 buses and cars fitted with technology capable of turning traffic lights green on their approach. About 12,000 corporate sponsors and their guests will also be allowed to use the lanes.
A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, said: “The last thing we are after is people’s money — we simply want to get everyone to their venues on time.”[/quote]
This is the one single reason I was against London hosting the Olympics. I was very happy when we did win, but with news like this surfacing - I'm happy to hand them back :ranting:
I accept the initial fine is lower, but a maximum of £5000 staggers belief. This country slips down the slippery slope every day :(
[quote=TimesOnline]Drivers face £5,000 penalty for using Olympic VIP lanes
Dipesh Gadher, Transport Correspondent
MOTORISTS who dare to stray into VIP lanes reserved for athletes and officials at the 2012 London Olympics face penalties of up to £5,000 under special powers sanctioned by the government.
As many as 55,000 members of the “Olympic family”, including ministers, media and corporate sponsors, will be able to sweep past other traffic in scenes reminiscent of Moscow’s politburo-only Zil lanes.
The lanes, linking sports venues across the capital, are likely to operate between 6.30am and midnight. They will be policed by cameras and enforcement officers.
Ordinary drivers will be herded into the remaining lanes, prompting fears of gridlock — and those who try to break out will be hit with severe penalties.
According to the London Olympics Bill, which passed its committee stage in the Commons last week, motorists who enter the VIP lanes, or infringe the new Olympic Route Network (ORN) in any other way, face a maximum penalty of £5,000 and a criminal record. This is five times the maximum penalty for most offences under the Road Traffic Offenders Act, such as failing to stop at a red light.
Although motorists will initially be issued with a fixed penalty notice of a lower value — to be set by a new Olympic Delivery Authority — the bill allows them to be prosecuted if they refuse or fail to pay and fined up to £5,000.
By contrast, straying into a bus lane in London is currently a civil offence with a maximum fine of £150, which can be recovered by bailiffs.
“One would expect draconian sanctions like this for serious road safety breaches rather than technical breaches of regulations,” said Paul Watters, head of roads policy at the AA Motoring Trust. “Why should a simple mistake cost someone up to £5,000?”
The dedicated lanes, part of the 150-mile ORN, will give priority to competitors and bigwigs such as Tessa Jowell, the culture secretary.
They will be transported daily in 2,500 buses and cars fitted with technology capable of turning traffic lights green on their approach. About 12,000 corporate sponsors and their guests will also be allowed to use the lanes.
A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, said: “The last thing we are after is people’s money — we simply want to get everyone to their venues on time.”[/quote]
This is the one single reason I was against London hosting the Olympics. I was very happy when we did win, but with news like this surfacing - I'm happy to hand them back :ranting:
I accept the initial fine is lower, but a maximum of £5000 staggers belief. This country slips down the slippery slope every day :(
Sounds like communisizm is rife in London......
And what about the VIP's who stray out of their lanes, what will they be hit with, hopefully a bloody big dump truck if nothing else, jeezz cant believe I read what you wrote...........
and:-They will be transported daily in 2,500 buses and cars fitted with technology capable of turning traffic lights green on their approach. About 12,000 corporate sponsors and their guests will also be allowed to use the lanes.
If this technology can turn lights in their favour, why isnt it in force now for emergency vehicles, and who the hell are these 12,000 sponsors and "Guests", Jordan maybe! goes from bad to worse.
Hopefully there will be a MASS protest, and every man jack will use the VIP lanes, cant fine all of them can they. And if joe public do it every day, what can they do.............
and:A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, said: “The last thing we are after is people’s money — we simply want to get everyone to their venues on time.”
The spokesman forgot to add, "And we dont give a toss about Joe public getting to work on time, or back home at nights"........
>> Edited by Vipers on Monday 24th October 09:06
>> Edited by Vipers on Monday 24th October 09:09
And what about the VIP's who stray out of their lanes, what will they be hit with, hopefully a bloody big dump truck if nothing else, jeezz cant believe I read what you wrote...........
and:-They will be transported daily in 2,500 buses and cars fitted with technology capable of turning traffic lights green on their approach. About 12,000 corporate sponsors and their guests will also be allowed to use the lanes.
If this technology can turn lights in their favour, why isnt it in force now for emergency vehicles, and who the hell are these 12,000 sponsors and "Guests", Jordan maybe! goes from bad to worse.
Hopefully there will be a MASS protest, and every man jack will use the VIP lanes, cant fine all of them can they. And if joe public do it every day, what can they do.............
and:A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, said: “The last thing we are after is people’s money — we simply want to get everyone to their venues on time.”
The spokesman forgot to add, "And we dont give a toss about Joe public getting to work on time, or back home at nights"........
>> Edited by Vipers on Monday 24th October 09:06
>> Edited by Vipers on Monday 24th October 09:09
esselte said:Having endured the commute along the M4 bus lane section for the past 16 months - I thought we already had minister only lanes
I assume once the Olympics are gone, it will become a Ministers only lane, a bus lane or a congestion charging lane...
Do you think this country is stating to sound like somewhere else on the other side of the Urals?
t at Tyburn...he's a thieving treacherous commie scumbag who shouldn't have been allowed to even stand......
Vipers said:
Sounds
If this technology can turn lights in their favour, why isnt it in force now for emergency vehicles,
>> Edited by Vipers on Monday 24th October 09:09
I did some work for the South Yorkshire Fire Brigade about 20 years ago and we could do this then.It helped them to get out of the city centre station at busy times.
just to be contentious....you lot are talking bollox!
I find the British mentality of 'well we didnt actually ask for the Olympics' f**king astonishing. Why should we bother with any sporting events actually. f**k Johnie Wilkinson and bollox to freddy F.
In case you havent noticed, London isn't quite like Seoul. Getting people to and from events will be considerably more difficult I would imagine. If they DIDNT do this with regards to special lanes then the event would run the risk of becoming an international joke and we wouldnt have great thing to watch and be proud to be part of. You have to make the fine excessive as this counrty is so full of arrogant selfish c*nts who would already have the 'i do whatever I like' mentality
What the arse has this got to do with Ken Livingstone really? practically nothing.
I despair reading threads like this sometimes.
I find the British mentality of 'well we didnt actually ask for the Olympics' f**king astonishing. Why should we bother with any sporting events actually. f**k Johnie Wilkinson and bollox to freddy F.
In case you havent noticed, London isn't quite like Seoul. Getting people to and from events will be considerably more difficult I would imagine. If they DIDNT do this with regards to special lanes then the event would run the risk of becoming an international joke and we wouldnt have great thing to watch and be proud to be part of. You have to make the fine excessive as this counrty is so full of arrogant selfish c*nts who would already have the 'i do whatever I like' mentality
What the arse has this got to do with Ken Livingstone really? practically nothing.
I despair reading threads like this sometimes.
nightmare said:
just to be contentious....you lot are talking bollox!
I find the British mentality of 'well we didnt actually ask for the Olympics' f**king astonishing. Why should we bother with any sporting events actually. f**k Johnie Wilkinson and bollox to freddy F.
In case you havent noticed, London isn't quite like Seoul. Getting people to and from events will be considerably more difficult I would imagine. If they DIDNT do this with regards to special lanes then the event would run the risk of becoming an international joke and we wouldnt have great thing to watch and be proud to be part of. You have to make the fine excessive as this counrty is so full of arrogant selfish c*nts who would already have the 'i do whatever I like' mentality
What the arse has this got to do with Ken Livingstone really? practically nothing.
I despair reading threads like this sometimes.
A fair point and well made, however it is an illustration of the depth of desparation among the motoring public that we hate Ken so much we would like to see our country humilliated for producing the joke olympics just to bring attention to our plight at the hands of the communist filth. Short of gang up and shoot the bastard there is not much we can do about Ken. There are enough thick people in London to keep him there and nobody on the horizon who wants to be elected on a platform of trashing everything the evil little git has done. I so hope the olympics are a total failure with half the buildings not complete, no spectators and some serious protests and boycotts.
pdV6 said:
And there was me thinking that the Olympics would be a good enough reason for the traffic system to be sorted out once and for all. More fool me.
Yes. London was previously lagging behind Paris for hosting the Olympics because of the transport infrastructure. Obviously our bid promised the Olympic committee that London would address that, and we assumed it would be something that would benefit London transport infrastructure as a whole.
To hear that the solution is to implement VIP car lanes (when the Olympics itself has already been declared "car free" for us plebs) is an insult. To hear that the offence of using the same lane as such VIPs will then be punished more severely than many serious crimes is just rubbing salt in the wounds.
I just hope that this network of VIP lanes is swiftly removed once the Olympics are finished. There should be no justification for keeping them.
No, we'll need to keep the VIP lanes afterwards for moving politicians and other important people around, and for buses and ambulances and so on. Anyway you should count yourself lucky you're allowed to drive into London at all, it's not a God-given right and you're only allowed in on sufferance.
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