Genuine mistake but I still got fine
This is the first time I have felt strongly enough about a subject to put pen to paper and vent my feelings – on bus lanes.
At 6.45pm on December 16, having taken some friends who are not from Leicester to see the Christmas lights, I found myself at the back of Causeway Lane.
It is all one-way streets around there and I was having difficulty finding a way out to put me on to Vaughan Way.
I made a left turn and pulled over and stopped when a very helpful young man in a black cab pulled alongside me and told me if I carried on I would be on cameras as it is a bus, cycle and taxi lane only.
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I immediately turned around and came out the way I went in.
Too late, apparently, as six days later I received a penalty charge notice with three photos of me turning, two of my number plate and three of me stopped at the kerbside.
I have not denied that I did turn into this lane.
It does state on the notice that you can appeal it. I did, as I felt that I had made a genuine mistake and caused no inconvenience to anybody.
I sent a short letter on the same day I received my summons and stated in my letter that if someone took the trouble and looked at the next one or two frames, they would see the taxi pull along side me and me turn around and come out, the way I went in.
I have had my appeal turned down and received five sheets from Leicester City Council, including two maps of the city centre, explaining why.
I phoned the bus lane enforcement office and was told the person I wanted to speak to had gone – to be fair, it was after 4.30pm – and that if I did not pay my £60 within 28 days, my fine would be £90.
Does Leicester City Council really care about people coming into the city? No. Can anyone make a genuine mistake? No. Bus lanes in Lutterworth Road? No.
But revenue it creates from fines will no doubt carry on funding another council department that does not care for its voters.
I have now paid my fine.
Peter Black, Blaby.
4 Comments
by C_G_Lee
Friday, February 01 2013, 12:22PM
“I am not surprised at the comments already made by posters and I broadly agree with them. If I had made such a mistake I would have simply paid the fine. However, I would add that in the "good old days", when such matters were dealt with by the police and by police employed traffic wardens, a degree of discretion may have been used, and some timely advice given to transgressors such as Peter Black, instead of a £60 fine.”
by Lordpostie
Thursday, January 31 2013, 11:40AM
“So if this road had a no entry sign on it or trains only you have still ignored what the road signs say, you have no one to blame but yourself...not following road signs could that be driving without due care and attention ?”
by depreg
Thursday, January 31 2013, 11:39AM
“Some might point out that if you get confused and can't read road signs properly, you perhaps should not be driving.”
by graydjames
Wednesday, January 30 2013, 8:50PM
“We've all been caught out one way or another by "making a mistake". You deserve empathy but to think that you have reasonable excuse to succeed in an appeal is, I am afraid, misguided.”