Allleged Bus Lane Contravention -Oxford RD (Nelson Street to Hathersage)

Hi All,
I am sending this letter to Manchester City Council, as i got Bus lane Penalty Charge Notice and i never realised i was on the bus lane, if i knew i would not go on the bus lane road.

Usually you have bus lane road marking, but i did not see this i never realised. after 7-8 years i came to Manchester, as i dont do much driving and i am not familiar with Manchester Road and i got lost so many time looking for the Hospital and asking Manchester people where the Hospital is.

I had no intention to drive on the bus lane and it was Genuine mistake if i did, as i did not realised until today i receive the letter.

Thank you all of you who have been looking at my post and replying.

Really appreciated for your help, replies and advising.

I am thinking of sending the below letter to the Manchester City council through the website.

http://www.manchester.gov.uk/info/471/park...icket_or_fine/2



Monday 04th December 2017

Manchester City Council
PO BOX 52
Town Hall
Manchester
M60 2LA


Appeals and Payment Department.


PCN Penalty Charge Notice Number: MC794
Vehicle registration number: DG60GNH

Dear Sir or Madam,
Thank you for your letter of the PCN Dated 01/12/17

You have issued me with a Parking Charge Notice ticket on Sunday 05th November 2017 at 14:41pm, but I believe it was unlawfully issued.

I went to Manchester first time and kind of got lost, Confusion, diversion and road works as well going on while I was in Manchester, but I cannot remember where and I did not realize I was on the Bus lane until I receive the letter today by post, as usually you have the Bus lane marked on the road that how I recognize. I looked at the picture it is just a normal road with 20Mph marking, when I checked the Google maps and picture there is no Bus lane marked. The warning sign on the Google map is not updated, as it is showing Sept 2016 last updated. You can see from the picture I was not causing any issue to the Bus lane or Blocking anyone, I did not realized I was on the bus lane, if they are saying I am on bus lane, as it was just a normal road and it had normal road marking.

However i was going to Manchester city, which you are not familiar with the roads and the area, as I do not live in Manchester. It gets more confusing and Manchester roads are not easy to follow, when you do not live in the city or visit the city often. I never knew on a Sunday the Bus lane contravention was active, as usually it is peak times only. I cannot remember seeing the sign at all; as if I did I would not break the rule, as my concentration was on the road and finding the place, as full focus was on the road and traffic.

If knew I was in the Bus lane, I would of exited immediately, as I am law abiding person and I never had parking ticket, speeding tickets.

I just don’t know how I missed the sign, as it may have not been visible at the time to me, as I don’t know what was going through my mind or something may have come across the sign, which may have blocked from my view at the time. It may be insufficient signage, where they may need to have every 10Metres to catch the driver attention, especially when you do NOT live in Manchester.


Like I said how can you read so many signs, where there is general public, Cars, Building, traffic and how do you expect to see everything, unless you have super human eye and super brain to take in everything very quickly, not everyone memory or thinking is the same, so you have to look at the situation at the time. I am not having a go at the council, I appreciate what they are doing, but my situation was different and I had No Intention of breaking the rules and traffic regulation and it was just a genuine mistake.


The Signway are set too wide on the over other side and it can be missed very easily, as it over the Cycle lane side. Too far away for the Driver to see.


Clearly, this is not a bus lane as described by the council website and appears to be, if anything, a breach of a 'No Motor Vehicle' sign into a street where it may be intended for buses. There is no demarcation of the bus lane on the street. Is the Penalty charge issued for the correct offence?
.
The contravention date is 5th November so the Council have 28 days to serve a PCN based on the legislation .
So the 28 day period ends on 2nd December --the critical date by which a PCN must be served. So excluding the weekend (non working days) the service date is 5th December—Therefore you have missed the 2nd December deadline.

However if you look closely at the PCN it describes the date of service as "2nd working day after the posting" i.e posted on 1st December This means you are sending illegal requests for payment.


There are mitigating circumstances to explain why the vehicle was on the road at time where it was and the Parking charge Notice to be waived for this reason.