Fairness of bus lane charge when no alternative lane

[hardya]

my wife has a 34J charge for Bolton Road Bradford. She had never been to Bradford before

 

As far as I can see, there IS signage when the lane becaomes a bus lane but the road is a single carriageway two lane one one way one the other. So, at the point that the lane becomes a bus lane you are suddenly faced with the choice of STOP and do a 3 point turn or turn suddenly right up a little narrow side road which goes who knows where.

 

The person on the phone says there should be signage at the start of the road that says it becomes a bus lane further on and also signage at every entry point at earlier points along the road, but my wife remembers none of this.

 

Also, to my mind earlier along the road at the most useful point there ought to be "something like" road markings, even a give way and a clear sense that you are about to head towards a bus lane and signage which very clearly directs all NONE-BUS traffic to "turn right here" or something of that ilk. My wife saw none of that either.

 

SURELY If the intention is to disuade people from using the bus lane on purpose for their own convenience (as news reports suggest) then better and more (than what is already there) signage and road markings would be better, I have no proof but I very strongly suspect that most of the milions made is from one of users who do not know the city. Why not have a first time warning and a second time fine.

 

It would be interesting to have stats on the addresses of the finees. If most fines are one off to people out of the area then the action is going to have little or no actually impact on the infingement of the law, but simply just make money right?

 

Could those stats be available under freedom of information?

 

Finally I guess in the end my wife should have wizzed up the tiny side road or just stoipped dead in her lane right?

[honeybee13]

Hello and welcome to CAG.

 

Are you able to tell us the location of where the alleged offence happened please? That way we might be able to look it up on google maps, unless you have photos.

 

HB

[hardya]

53°47'55.2"N 1°44'51.7"W

53.798667, -1.747701

 

Bolton Road, Bradford.

 

To be fair, at this particular point there is a sign saying other traffic right. Though it is not really a proper route rather a last escape into a housing estate where you would be faced with re-routing. I cannot find any signs further back on bolton road or at the start of bolton road and I have looked at a number of side roads and I don't see mention that for most traffic heading down bolton road will be a waste of time. Given the money raised I think (similar to what you get for speed limits) you could have reminder signs and road messages all the way down that road .

 

I guess the signs must be legal but I think if you were approaching behind a bus or lorry you may not see them. I kind of feel a change of road markings, mini roundabout or something that signifies a decision point in a motorist's mind would be better so that for most traffic the main directed path of the road leads them naturally to stay away from the bus lane and they have to make a decision to go that way rather than "look out for" ONE sign that says if you don't divert right now you are in danger of breaking the law or having to stop in the road and turn round!

 

Thoughts?

Edited October 4, 2016 by hardya

[silverfox1961]

Hi

While I confess to knowing little about local authority tickets, I would still appeal. My reasoning

 

Although the sign is large enough to see from a distance, the sign is right on the junction where you must turn right however, there is also another right turn further down the road, before the no entry sign. This road sign would suggest to me that it is the second turn off, not the first and as you cannot see what is up the second turn off, the dead end, confusion must reign.

 

An additional warning further back along the road would ensure there is no room for confusion.

 

While waiting for the appeal to be heard, I would do a Freedom of Information request to see how many people have been caught at this location.

[Qw212]

May be able to appeal if there were mitigating circumstances - was the turning place blocked...