Penalty Charge for stopping in Box Junction but in severe road closures and traffic diversions.

giftedmidfielder

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than me can help.

Back in September I traveled up to London for the final stage of the Tour of Britain cycle race. I'd arrived nice and early (Sunday morning), intending to park close to Regent Street but I'd underestimated the chaos I'd encounter. Huge sections of roads were closed down with endless diversions. The time took to get from Hyde Park corner to being parked in an NCP near Soho was roughly 90 minutes. It was absolute chaos.

Fast forward six weeks and this morning I get a penalty charge in the post for stopping in a junction box.

Now, I'm aware this is an offense but on the day the roads were in turmoil and locked in gridlock. It was almost impossible for anyone without an intricate knowledge of the West London streets to get anywhere.

My argument would be that the only way to clear a junction was to use the box. The gridlock and confusion meant that for multiple light cycles the box was full of cars making it impossible to move.

Is there a chance that I might win an appeal considering these unusual circumstances? And if so, is there a particular wording I should use, to explain to the appeal department, that best illustrates my case?

Many thanks in advance for any constructive help.

Inner_Zone

giftedmidfielder wrote: »

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than me can help.

Back in September I traveled up to London for the final stage of the Tour of Britain cycle race. I'd arrived nice and early (Sunday morning), intending to park close to Regent Street but I'd underestimated the chaos I'd encounter. Huge sections of roads were closed down with endless diversions. The time took to get from Hyde Park corner to being parked in an NCP near Soho was roughly 90 minutes. It was absolute chaos.

Fast forward six weeks and this morning I get a penalty charge in the post for stopping in a junction box.

Now, I'm aware this is an offense but on the day the roads were in turmoil and locked in gridlock. It was almost impossible for anyone without an intricate knowledge of the West London streets to get anywhere.

My argument would be that the only way to clear a junction was to use the box. The gridlock and confusion meant that for multiple light cycles the box was full of cars making it impossible to move.

Is there a chance that I might win an appeal considering these unusual circumstances? And if so, is there a particular wording I should use, to explain to the appeal department, that best illustrates my case?

Many thanks in advance for any constructive help.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=74985939&postcount=2

Scrapit

Get the person that made you drive into the box to pay. Unless that was you, then it's your problem. Welcome to London driving.

Head_The_Ball

giftedmidfielder wrote: »

.... The gridlock and confusion meant that for multiple light cycles the box was full of cars making it impossible to move. .

How much of that gridlock was caused by drivers blocking yellow box junctions?

giftedmidfielder

I suspect it was almost entirely due to thousands of drivers being deviated from the trunk roads and shoehorned into narrow side roads with no clue how to get to where they're trying to get to. I drive in and out of central London every week, have done for 25 years. It was the worst I've ever seen it.

Aylesbury_Duck

Sorry, I don't think you'll get anywhere with this. Their argument will be that in those conditions, it is all the more important that junctions are kept clear. The irony is that your fine is probably a consequence of someone doing the same round the corner.

giftedmidfielder

I suspect you're correct despite the fact that if I hadn't used the box I'd would have been there for hours, with a load of angry drivers queuing up behind me beeping their horns.



I'm sure it was a bumper day for Camden Council that Sunday.

TuppenceWorth

Unfortunately you will be expected to pay. This will be despite the poor traffic control that you encountered. The standard response will be that you shouldn't have entered the yellow box unless you had a clear exit.

I previously had to pay for bus lane contravention. The sign had specific times which allowed general traffic at the time (usually means I get a lane to myself as no one else can be bothered to read). Within a short distance it then switched to "end of bus lane" (keep on driving, happy days) and then to bus lane again, but this time with different times on!!

So my smugness was wiped away when I got the fine. I had to drive to the same road again to check the signage as I don't normally get caught out. I think the signage was unfair as one should be concentrating on traffic rather than signage that is constantly changing.

Anyway, I didn't bother challenging as I knew what the response would be.

At least real criminals are also being caught.....

DoaM

giftedmidfielder wrote: »

The gridlock and confusion meant that for multiple light cycles the box was full of cars making it impossible to move.

???

almillar

multiple light cycles

Light goes red, Light goes green, light goes red, light goes green. Traffic Light cycles.

Car_54

almillar wrote: »

Light goes red, Light goes green, light goes red, light goes green. Traffic Light cycles.

Really? No amber lights where you live?