Please Help! Bus Lane PCN in Friar Street, Reading.

Foxy_Snob

Hi Everyone.

Not sure whether this belongs here, or in the parking ticket board. It isn't parking, so I've put it here, please tell me if it needs moving.

On 24th January 2014, I received a Penalty Charge Notice from Reading Borough Council. My offence was to enter a bus lane in Friar Street, on 22nd January.

Whilst I do concede that I committed the 'offence', I removed myself from the road as soon as I could after realising, it was the one and only time I've been to Reading, the roads are confusing and I did hope that a bit of leeway could be applied. So I appealed.

On 4th March, I received the Notice of Rejection of Representations, which was dated 28th February. There are lots of words in it, but essentially they wanted their money and my plea had been rejected. I had 14 days to pay £30, or it would increase to £60. If I exceeded 28 days, it would increase again, to £90.

On the 10th of March (10 days from the date of the Rejection) I posted the payment slip, paying my £30.

I thought no more of it.

Today, I received a Charge Certificate. It says payment in full has not been made. That the penalty is £60, which has been increased to £90. £30 has been paid, so I owe £60. I've to pay this within 14 days (of the 7th) or RBC will register the outstanding balance as a debt at the county court. There's also a threatening bit about bailiffs, and me being responsible for court costs.

I've checked my bank, and payment left my account on 31st March.

I do not know when RBC received my payment slip, or what they did with it when they received it. There does seem to be 21 days between my sending it (via 1st class) and payment leaving my account.

Please help! What can I do? I don't want to pay an additional £60, obviously, and don't react well to being bullied (I feel I am!), however I don't want County Court judgements etc, and I really don't want the cost to spiral.

Thank you for reading, and grateful for any advice!

da_rule

Your best bet is to post this on the PePiPoo parking forum, as they have a better grasp on Council issued PCN's.

Before you post on their though you'll need to have a copy of any PCN's and correspondence uploaded so that you can post it.

Foxy_Snob

da_rule wrote: »

Your best bet is to post this on the PePiPoo parking forum, as they have a better grasp on Council issued PCN's.

Before you post on their though you'll need to have a copy of any PCN's and correspondence uploaded so that you can post it.

Thank you.

I have copies of everything, except my original plea.

da_rule

Was your original plea sent by e-mail? If so could it be in your sent items box? If not, did you type it up and maybe save it?

Foxy_Snob

da_rule wrote: »

Was your original plea sent by e-mail? If so could it be in your sent items box? If not, did you type it up and maybe save it?

If only! No, I completed it online, using the link RBC provided. I've gone back, and it says I'm outside the timeframe for appealing and only gives me a payment option.

ado

Unfortunately this comment is of no help to the OP, but I want to post it to highlight how much Councils can earn from this sort of fine.

Leicester's pedestrian zones used to be 'policed' by the police who would take something like £2000 in fines per year. I'd imagine that most of these were from student constables who were monitored on the number of penalties issued during their first two years. Anyway the Council installed two sets of ANPR cameras to enforce the zones and to fine errant car drivers with fines immediately leaping to between £100,000 and £200,000 per month! http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Fines-driving-bus-lanes-near-pound-1m/story-19239646-detail/story.html

The council is still discussing extending their use (and why wouldn't they when they bring in so much money) even for 24 hour bus lanes...except that buses don't run 24 hours a day in the city! The council's reasoning is that it would be far simpler to enforce a 24 hour car ban than far more straight forward for drivers to understand it, rather than having it for limited hours each day!

Foxy_Snob

ado wrote: »

Unfortunately this comment is of no help to the OP, but I want to post it to highlight how much Councils can earn from this sort of fine.

Leicester's pedestrian zones used to be 'policed' by the police who would take something like £2000 in fines per year. I'd imagine that most of these were from student constables who were monitored on the number of penalties issued during their first two years. Anyway the Council installed two sets of ANPR cameras to enforce the zones and to fine errant car drivers with fines immediately leaping to between £100,000 and £200,000 per month! http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Fines-driving-bus-lanes-near-pound-1m/story-19239646-detail/story.html

The council is still discussing extending their use (and why wouldn't they when they bring in so much money) even for 24 hour bus lanes...except that buses don't run 24 hours a day in the city! The council's reasoning is that it would be far simpler to enforce a 24 hour car ban than far more straight forward for drivers to understand it, rather than having it for limited hours each day!

It's a right little goldmine, isn't it!