Bus Lane Penalty Charge Notice

omelette451

cwcw wrote: »

I am expecting a £30 fine too unfortunately. Does anyone know if it affects insurance? Does the penalty have an offence code? A £30 fine doesn't bother me - it's a lesson learned to avoid the Wicker area altogether in future, as I normally manage to. It's the risk to my insurance policy that bothers me more - e.g. paying £50 extra each and every year for 5 years if I declare it.

Yes you have to declare it, and yes it has an offence code (not sure what though). Not declaring it is an offence and may render your insurance invalid. That said, if you've got a generally good and fairly long driving history it shouldn't affect your premiums too much, and certainly not by the amount or for the length of time you're worried about.

My advice is to admit (to yourself) that you made an honest but careless mistake, accept that declaring it for insurance purposes is your punishment and then get on with enjoying your life - in the grand scheme of things it's not important enough to get worked up about.

peter_the_piper

Are you sure thats correct? You have committed a contravention which results in a fine, not points are put against your license and is not done under criminal law as far as I know.

cwcw

omelette451 wrote: »

Yes you have to declare it, and yes it has an offence code (not sure what though). Not declaring it is an offence and may render your insurance invalid. That said, if you've got a generally good and fairly long driving history it shouldn't affect your premiums too much, and certainly not by the amount or for the length of time you're worried about.

My advice is to admit (to yourself) that you made an honest but careless mistake, accept that declaring it for insurance purposes is your punishment and then get on with enjoying your life - in the grand scheme of things it's not important enough to get worked up about.

I've already admitted that, to myself and others. However I have played around with online quotes for insurance and using the offence code I assume it must be then it's going to affect me by around £35 a year, and I assume for 5 years since the question is any offences in the last 5 years. Therefore the total fine is more like £205. Seems a bit hefty for one tiny mistake. The WORST that could have happened is delaying a bus for a few seconds on a quiet Saturday afternoon (not that there were any). It seems madness that for this, I get a punishment in line with someone, say, doing 37mph past a school at 3.30pm on a weekday. I've heard that the cameras are manned, and not digital, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for now.

Neil_B

omelette451 wrote: »

Yes you have to declare it, and yes it has an offence code (not sure what though). Not declaring it is an offence and may render your insurance invalid. That said, if you've got a generally good and fairly long driving history it shouldn't affect your premiums too much, and certainly not by the amount or for the length of time you're worried about.

My advice is to admit (to yourself) that you made an honest but careless mistake, accept that declaring it for insurance purposes is your punishment and then get on with enjoying your life - in the grand scheme of things it's not important enough to get worked up about.

What complete and UTTER RUBBISH !!!!

Go and check your facts before you cost more people money. Quote me any piece of applicable legislation that includes such NONSENSE!

Neil_B

'CWCW'.

as you might have gathered from the very start of this thread the advice you need is not available here.

there was a Sheffield bus lane thread running on both PePiPoo and PCF forums (same case). I mentioned non-compliant signage - which explains your 'mistake'.

I think I recall it is not yet resolved with Sheffield apparently on the back foot and playing dumb. Go find 'em mate and stop listening to this dross!

Badger_Lady

cheesy.mike wrote: »

As a bikers, and therefore a legal bus lane users in Bristol, I find it really annoying when cars deliberately use our lane. IMHO there can be few excuses - although I fully support anyone who can get off on a technicality if the council are numpty enough to ignore signposting regulations etc.

Whilst I agree, not all drivers seem to be aware of the "time limits" on most bus lanes - I quite frequently use one at off-peak times, when to do so is perfectly legal, only to be confronted with "road rage" type responses from fellow drivers.

There's also frequent confusion where a bus lane ends 100 yards before a crossroads, meaning that traffic waiting for the green light have to queue back in the right hand lane, blocking any traffic that wants to turn right. To avoid blocking this traffic, most drivers queue on the bus lane instead, probably unaware that to do so is actually an offence!

Unfortunately, a lot of new road rules have been brought in over recent years without any real education to existing drivers (I only know the detail because of more recent advanced driving qualifications). The get-out "as a driver, you are required to keep yourself up-to-date" really isn't good enough... and many won't learn until they're penalised.

OP, sounds like a genuine mistake but an offence committed nonetheless - I wish you luck on your appeal, but hope that you'll graciously pay if it's rejected

Neil_B

Badger_Lady wrote: »

Whilst I agree, not all drivers seem to be aware of the "time limits" on most bus lanes - I quite frequently use one at off-peak times, when to do so is perfectly legal,

I think i love ya!

My pet hate too!
I don't know where you are but there are particular common routes in London, often one side to the other, where actually driving correctly takes a huge chunk off of journey times with some great long 'sail past' bus lane runs! They just never c;ick do they! LOL

lucid2008

If you were too busy looking at the satnav instead of checking what lane you were in,then you lucky you were not in an accident.

System

Brian_Bullocks wrote: »

You need to update the maps on your sat nav.

Sheffield is a law unto itself we have had many problems there not got any tickets but the sat nav trying to take us some where it shouldnt , Sheffields roads are like the moving staircase in Harry Potter it changes constantly .

dunstonh

I got caught by the Wicker bus lane and appealed and got my rejection of the appeal back.

They sent me photos as evidence of signage that exists. To be honest, the whole thing is a farce and if anything the photos highlight how poor the signage is.

For those that have not been down that road, it is like an old wide, straight high street with shops on both sides. It goes on through a set of traffic lights in a straight line as far as you can see. There are a couple of signs on the side of the road according to the pictures which tell you to turn left. These are about 80 yards before that crossroads controlled by traffic lights. The sign appears to indicate that you turn left at the traffic lights. However, I can now see they want you to turn left in a small side road. (there are two left junctions but sign only shows one).

The scale of the sign is not consistent with the positioning of the junctions. It is right on the junction of left turn they want you to take but the sign indicates you have to travel straight on for a while before you turn left (suggesting traffic lights - plus that first left turn looks like small local road).

Then about 20 foot before the traffic lights you get a small piece of green tarmac in front of you saying bus, taxi and bike only. It isnt constant and returns to grey tarmac after about 20 ft. There is nowhere to go at that point but straight on. You cannot turn around as it would mean doing a three point turn right in front of a crossroads controlled by traffic lights. Also, there is a no stopping sign on the side at that point as well.

It is an awful bit of signing and it smacks or an attempt to be a money raising scheme. By the time you realise that straight on is a bus lane, there is no way you can exit. You have no choice but to enter the bus lane for about 20 ft before turning left at the lights to get off it.