Interpretation of traffic restriction sign

Stonk

I have fallen foul of a traffic restriction.  It centres around this sign at the entry to a road, which I find unclear and ambiguous:

The upper sign is "no motor vehicles", then below is a list of exceptions.

How is this to be interpreted?  To me, the most natural interpretation is that no traffic is allowed, except that after 6pm and until 10am the next day four categories of traffic are allowed, being buses, taxis, private hire vehicles, and loading.

However, this cannot be correct, because I know for a certain fact that buses travel up and down this road all day.  So it's already ambiguous.  Unless all those buses are getting fined every time.

My next-best interpretation is that no motor vehicles are allowed, with five exceptions, i.e., that the restriction does not apply (1) to buses; (2) to taxis; (3) to private hire vehicles; (4) to loading; (5) from 6pm to 10am.  Since it was 11:30pm, I concluded that exception (5) applied and it was permissible to drive on.

And now I have a PCN for doing so.

sammyjammy

Your interpretation is incorrect as you have found to your detriment, items 4 and 5 are one not two exemptions, loading for vehicles between 10pm and 8am that aren't covered by 1, 2 and 3 is allowed.

zagfles

I would interpret the 6pm to 10am as being just for loading. So taxis, buses etc are allowed anytime, and loading is allowed after 6pm and before 10am. 

Your second interpretation can't be right because the 6pm to 10am clearly isn't part of a list of 5, if it was it'd say buses, taxis, private hire, loading and 6pm to 10am. Because it says "...and loading  6pm to 10am", loading is the last item in the list.

The other interpretation could be that the entire restriction only applies 6pm to 10am, but that's probably not likely.  

saajan_12

Or the loading exception is only applicable 6pm - 10am, based on how the commas are. So: 
-  At day times its no vehicles except buses, taxis, licensed private hire. 
-  At night times its no vehicles except buses, taxis, licensed private hire, loading

Stonk

I see what you are both saying, that the "6pm - 10am" is attached (inivisibly!) to the "loading".  Why is it attached just to "loading"?  How can one tell?  That really is not obvious.  Well, maybe now it is, but only after discovering that the two better interpretations must be wrong!

To my mind, that interpretation would have ranked as the third-most likely.  I suggest that there is a fairly complicated set of restrictions, and the sign doesn't fully convey them, resulting in ambiguity.

Should I bother appealing or pay the £35?

zagfles

Stonk said:

I see what you are both saying, that the "6pm - 10am" is attached (inivisibly!) to the "loading".  Why is it attached just to "loading"?  How can one tell?  That really is not obvious.  

It's either attached to the loading, or is applies to the entire exception, or it applies the entire restriction. In any of these 3 possible interpretations you can't enter at 1130pm if you're not a bus, taxi, private hire or loading.

The 6pm to 10am is definitely not part of a list of 5 for reasons given earlier.

DW190

No vehicles at any time.  Except Buses,Taxis and Licensed Private hire vehicles.

Buses, Taxis and Licensed Private hire vehicles can use 24/7

Any vehicle can enter between 6pm and 10am as long as they are going to Load or Unload Goods.

Stonk

zagfles said:

Stonk said:

I see what you are both saying, that the "6pm - 10am" is attached (inivisibly!) to the "loading".  Why is it attached just to "loading"?  How can one tell?  That really is not obvious.  

It's either attached to the loading, or is applies to the entire exception, or it applies the entire restriction. In any of these 3 possible interpretations you can't enter at 1130pm if you're not a bus, taxi, private hire or loading.

The 6pm to 10am is definitely not part of a list of 5 for reasons given earlier.

Fair enough.  I'll pay the fine.  But nevertheless, road signage is meant to be easily readable and understandable as one drives by, and the fact that this has at least 3 plausible interpretations of which we're still not really sure which is correct -- is surely not ideal!

Stonk

DW190 said:

No vehicles at any time.  Except Buses,Taxis and Licensed Private hire vehicles.

Buses, Taxis and Licensed Private hire vehicles can use 24/7

Any vehicle can enter between 6pm and 10am as long as they are going to Load or Unload Goods.

Ah, but would you have said that if I hadn't said that buses travelled in the road all day?  Or if I hadn't said I got a PCN at 11:30pm?  I wish I'd just posted the sign and asked what it means!

Thanks to all for your inputs.

Car1980

Not the clearest, but it's No Motor Vehicles 24/7 except buses, and those loading, who can enter between 6pm and 10am.

If the other interpretation was correct it would say No Motor Vehicles between 6pm and 10am, except XYZ and those loading, who can enter between those times, and everyone can enter outside those times.

jd576

This sign is ambiguous as this thread demonstrates. I won a case at tribunal against Barnet a number of years ago based on unclear signage. The only thing you really have to lose here is the time spent preparing your case - it's a lot less onerous than a private parking case in terms of the legwork you need to do to