Fine for a U-turn which was not a U-turn

[Panio1]

Last week I turned right in to a drive way to pick people up in my car and then reversed back out onto the road to continue my journey. I have received a fine from London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. I argued that I did not perform a U-turn but turned into a private driveway to let 2 people out of the car and then reversed onto the road to go back. They have rejected my request saying that "my intention was to perform a u-turn" even though I did not actually do one. I will attach the letter from them if needed. Thank you for your help.

[Michael Browne]

I turned right in to a drive way to pick people up in my car

 

turned into a private driveway to let 2 people out of the car

Slight inconsistency here

[CHRIS44G]

Haven`t these people got better things to be doing than fining you for this? Sounds like a perfectly reasonable manoevere to me! Good luck!

[BankFodder]

Apart from the inconsistency spotted by Michael Browne - which you need to resolve, I can't see that "intention" to commit an offence can form the basis of an offence.

I suggest that you get chapter and verse of the regulation which they say you have breached.

Also you should obtain signed statements from the two people who you either picked up or dropped off. It would also help you to be able to show that you have some connection with the address into which you turned.

 

It seems to me that a U-turn is eactly that. If you left the highway by turning right into a private driveway and then if you reversed out of the driveway and continued your journey in the opposite direction - then that has to be two separate manoeuvres. I would have thought that a u-turn would be a single maneouvre and that it would take place completely on the public highway - even (perish the thought) if what you really did was decide to pull a fast one by turning into the opposite direction by using someone's private driveway in order to try and circumvent the rules - which of course is not what happened at all.

[Michael Browne]

Presumably this was this a CCTV pcn? If so you need to view the entire footage which should show your passengers boarding/alighting

[Panio1]

Thanks for all your comments. I stopped in the driveway to collect 2 people. I only stopped for about a minute. I have asked to see the video. The annoying thing is that they agreed that I did not performed a uturn but that I had the intention of doing it. Is there a specific definition of a uturn? Thanks

[Michael Browne]

The annoying thing is that they agreed that I did not performed a u turn

Can you post the exact wording. The contravention is 'Failing to comply with a sign indicating a prohibited turn' which you say they agree you didn't do

 

but that I had the intention of doing it.

a) It's not for the council to surmise what your intention was

b) Intention is not a contravention

 

 

Is there a specific definition of a uturn? Thanks

Here:

http://keycases.parkingandtrafficappeals.gov.uk/

 

Scroll down the drop-down menu to 'U turn', essentially one continuous forward motion

 

Wait for the NTO and appeal on the grounds that the contravention did not occur

[crem]

This seems like a nonsense accusation! Lets assume you live at the house and arrive home from work at 6pm turning right into your drive. You then leave for work at 7am the next morning heading in the opposite direction of course to go back to work. It seems, by the councils definition of a U turn, this house owner commits an offence every morning!!