We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum. This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are - or become - political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.

May have driven down bus street....

Kaz2904
Kaz2904 Posts: 5,797 Forumite
1,000 Posts Combo Breaker Mortgage-free Glee!
We went to a family party yesterday in Taunton. When we got there, my Mother in Law was very worried that we had driven down a bus road. Apparently other family members were taken down there by sat nav.
I said to her that it was ok because we did drive past a bus road but it was on the left and we went to the right. Looking at google street maps now, it seems that it is possible I have gone down the bus road. Bearing in mind that the weather was awful (torrential rain and flooding), there was a car parked up on the side of the road blocking the signs and kind of pushing us down that route (this car had previously cut us up), would there be any lenience from the enforcers if we get a penalty notice?
I'm gutted this has happened the signposts are terrible and looking it up on the internet, thousands of local people have been caught by this since September. If the locals are being caught, how are non-local's supposed to navigate around the area?
Grr. £130, that's all I need to have to pay out now before Christmas :(
Debt: 16/04/2007:TOTAL DEBT [strike]£92727.75[/strike] £49395.47:eek: :eek: :eek: £43332.28 repaid 100.77% of £43000 target.
MFiT T2: Debt [STRIKE]£52856.59[/STRIKE] £6316.14 £46540.45 repaid 101.17% of £46000 target.
2013 Target: completely clear my [STRIKE]£6316.14[/STRIKE] £0 mortgage debt. £6316.14 100% repaid.
«1

Comments

  • CDes
    CDes Posts: 47 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 25 November 2012 at 5:28PM
    Are there cameras there? That's the only way you'll have been caught.

    I accidentally went up a very poorly signed bus road in Huddersfield the other day but I'm not worried because there are no apparent cameras or signs indicating there are any.
  • Kaz2904
    Kaz2904 Posts: 5,797 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker Mortgage-free Glee!
    Yup, there are cameras there. It's really annoying because I said to DH, no it's fine because we're going right not left. The other car was up on the pavement and the road and blocking what we could see of the other road.
    On the the way back I nearly got wiped out in the floods so it was a bit hairy to say the least.
    Why can't they just signpost these things from a bit further away so you can see where to go?
    It's the one in Mountway, bishops hull Taunton. Lots of complaints about it.
    Debt: 16/04/2007:TOTAL DEBT [strike]£92727.75[/strike] £49395.47:eek: :eek: :eek: £43332.28 repaid 100.77% of £43000 target.
    MFiT T2: Debt [STRIKE]£52856.59[/STRIKE] £6316.14 £46540.45 repaid 101.17% of £46000 target.
    2013 Target: completely clear my [STRIKE]£6316.14[/STRIKE] £0 mortgage debt. £6316.14 100% repaid.
  • Buellguy
    Buellguy Posts: 629 Forumite
    Kaz2904 wrote: »
    Yup, there are cameras there. It's really annoying because I said to DH, no it's fine because we're going right not left. The other car was up on the pavement and the road and blocking what we could see of the other road.
    On the the way back I nearly got wiped out in the floods so it was a bit hairy to say the least.
    Why can't they just signpost these things from a bit further away so you can see where to go?
    It's the one in Mountway, bishops hull Taunton. Lots of complaints about it.

    Because they won't make as much money (cynical head off)
  • muckybutt
    muckybutt Posts: 3,761 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    If you have inadvertantly gone through a bus gate as they are called then there could well be a number of options available to you, most council issued tickets can be overturned at appeal.

    I have fought a few myself now and have won them all, I am currently awaiting a recent appeal on behalf of my brother.

    Im afraid all you can do at the moment is wait and see if you get a ticket through the post, if you do come back on here and post a new thread in the tickets section http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=163
    or register on pepipoo and ask their advice which is second to none.
    You may click thanks if you found my advice useful
  • agrinnall
    agrinnall Posts: 23,344 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I drove in a bus only road by mistake in Glasgow and got caught by a camera, but because it was only £30 for quick payment, and I knew I'd done it, I paid up. If it had been £130 I might have been more likely to ask on Pepipoo for grounds to fight it.
  • Kaz2904
    Kaz2904 Posts: 5,797 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker Mortgage-free Glee!
    Oh, another thing which I think may help my case is that the roads around were flooded and that it was widely known on news channels that flood diversion signs had gone missing in the bishops hull area.
    Debt: 16/04/2007:TOTAL DEBT [strike]£92727.75[/strike] £49395.47:eek: :eek: :eek: £43332.28 repaid 100.77% of £43000 target.
    MFiT T2: Debt [STRIKE]£52856.59[/STRIKE] £6316.14 £46540.45 repaid 101.17% of £46000 target.
    2013 Target: completely clear my [STRIKE]£6316.14[/STRIKE] £0 mortgage debt. £6316.14 100% repaid.
  • Stooby2
    Stooby2 Posts: 1,195 Forumite
    edited 25 November 2012 at 10:01PM
    Cancel that..and edited...

    Found it on streetview and I don't think you have a leg to stand on. Two sets of very clear signs and clearly painted on the road that its a bus route. Unless the signs were defective as in broken or defaced then you're out of luck. And the car would need to be a large van to completely block the signs from what I can see in streetview. I rather think you're trying to shift the blame for your own failings here.
  • Kaz2904
    Kaz2904 Posts: 5,797 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker Mortgage-free Glee!
    The car was a 4x4 which had just cut me up and then screeched to a halt in front of me. It was dark, flooding and torrential rain. Very different to how it looks on street view I'm afraid :(.
    Debt: 16/04/2007:TOTAL DEBT [strike]£92727.75[/strike] £49395.47:eek: :eek: :eek: £43332.28 repaid 100.77% of £43000 target.
    MFiT T2: Debt [STRIKE]£52856.59[/STRIKE] £6316.14 £46540.45 repaid 101.17% of £46000 target.
    2013 Target: completely clear my [STRIKE]£6316.14[/STRIKE] £0 mortgage debt. £6316.14 100% repaid.
  • :money:
    CDes wrote: »
    Are there cameras there? That's the only way you'll have been caught.

    Not so, many areas use the buses themselves with cameras on the front to catch bus lane offenders.
  • muckybutt
    muckybutt Posts: 3,761 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    edited 25 November 2012 at 10:49PM
    Stooby2 wrote: »
    Cancel that..and edited...

    Found it on streetview and I don't think you have a leg to stand on. Two sets of very clear signs and clearly painted on the road that its a bus route. Unless the signs were defective as in broken or defaced then you're out of luck. And the car would need to be a large van to completely block the signs from what I can see in streetview. I rather think you're trying to shift the blame for your own failings here.

    GSV is often wrong for starters and should never be relied upon for signage matters.

    Then - all traffic signs have to adhere to the Traffic Signs Regulationsand General Directions regulations 2002 - many dont thus voiding the contravention.

    Then theres the ticket if she gets one - these are also often flawed in more ways than one, the regs concerned give the wording that is to be used on said tickets, if its measurably wrong then the ticket is void, easy appeal.

    GSV is so often used to look at road signs etc then when you see them there years out of date, take a case I have appealed for my brother, the GSV showed road markings and signs that werent even there when his mrs drove through the bus gate, that was purely down to poor signage she did it, I along with several more have Bath council by the watsits so much so this particular BG appeal had its own adjudication as potentially the council stand to loose £1000's.

    Dont jump the gun with council tickets....ever, dont ignore them either ! almost all council ticket can successfully be appealed.
    You may click thanks if you found my advice useful
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 347.2K Banking & Borrowing
  • 251.6K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 451.8K Spending & Discounts
  • 239.5K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 615.3K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 175.1K Life & Family
  • 252.8K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.