Driving in bus lane by accident, worth an appeal?

mattyfez · 19 Oct 2011 at 21:34

As the title really, Driving in bus lane by accident, worth an appeal?

I went into a city to pick up a new TV, and on the way out I got a little disorientated, genuine mistake, but I did go into a 'bus lane', so officially i'm bang to rights, but the bus lane was only a few feet long, and seemed to me at the time (it was raining) as the road forward, looking at the CCTV I should have taken a hard left, before the pink tarmac, but hey.

The bus lane is highlighted in red on the pic.

Burned_Alive · 19 Oct 2011 at 21:42

Pretty harsh, but to be honest I wouldn't even bother trying to fight that, they're not going to be interested. Lesson learned, move on.

thepeteh · 19 Oct 2011 at 21:42

Can you give it the old "I dont know who was driving?" trick?

CaptainRAVE · 19 Oct 2011 at 21:43

I did the same, it was one of theose "bus gates" and I didn't even realise such a thing existed! - I just accepted I did wrong and paid it tbh.

mattyfez · 19 Oct 2011 at 21:49

thepeteh said:
Can you give it the old "I dont know who was driving?" trick?

I can't, if its from the police/council, I am legaly obliged to identify the driver which, to be fair, was me

Raymond Lin · 19 Oct 2011 at 21:50

How much are we talking about here?

CaptainRAVE · 19 Oct 2011 at 21:51

Was £30 for me earlier in the year.

Jokester · 19 Oct 2011 at 21:52

Out of interest, have you got a Google streetview for it?

mattyfez · 19 Oct 2011 at 21:52

Burned_Alive said:
Pretty harsh, but to be honest I wouldn't even bother trying to fight that, they're not going to be interested. Lesson learned, move on.

Thats pretty much what I thought, its only £30 if I pay within 14 days, but still, I think it is wrong, it's almost like it's a trap to catch people. :mad:

[TW]Fox · 19 Oct 2011 at 21:54

What grounds do you intend to appeal on?

DBT85 · 19 Oct 2011 at 21:54

Is there a sign that says that only Buses and stuff are allowed in it?

I doubt there is any point appealing though. If you had to go in it because the road was closed or there was a police car in the way or something thne yeah.

Hotwired · 19 Oct 2011 at 21:59

Todge said:
Is there a sign that says that only Buses and stuff are allowed in it?

I see writing on the road before that section.

Did something like that while I was learning to drive, thought I was taking the right road but no, it was some kind of short cut for buses so they didn't have to take the tight turn further along.

Fortunately no one was watching. Apart from my driving instructor who nagged at me a bit

mattyfez · 19 Oct 2011 at 22:05

Jokester said:
Out of interest, have you got a Google streetview for it?

http://g.co/maps/v4w9c

pokerking · 19 Oct 2011 at 22:06

Happened to me in Leeds near the Corn Exchange, got 3 photographs of me in a bus lane, I had no idea it was a bus lane and when I saw the sign and camera I stopped at a set of lights, quite a nice trick of getting £30 free from motorists, not like my Road tax is good enough.

Oh and I got a ticket for parking ouside my new home, residents permit only street, I am fighting that but boy there are out to fleece as much money out of motorists.

The black arrow is where I was and the red is where I should have gone, just an honest mistake.

CaptainRAVE · 19 Oct 2011 at 22:06

mattyfez said:
http://g.co/maps/v4w9c

Yeah, your stuffed tbh.

mattyfez · 19 Oct 2011 at 22:06

[TW]Fox;20350527 said:
What grounds do you intend to appeal on?

I don't, I'm just venting really, as it was an honest mistake, and this kind of thing makes me angry.

CaptainRAVE · 19 Oct 2011 at 22:08

mattyfez said:
I don't, I'm just venting really, as it was an honest mistake, and this kind of thing makes me angry.

+1

When I did it I was really angry - at myself for not noticing (after living there for 8 years!) and at the money grabbing council (who apparently were making hundreds of thousands off it a year). Oh well, I did wonder why the road was so quiet, was almost worth it to have the road to myself

pokerking · 19 Oct 2011 at 22:08

mattyfez said:
I don't, I'm just venting really, as it was an honest mistake, and this kind of thing makes me angry.

Leeds is quite bad for motorists, so many bus lanes it is quite easy to make a mistake and if you do, £30 fine coming through your letter box.

DBT85 · 19 Oct 2011 at 22:18

CaptainRAVE said:
Yeah, your stuffed tbh.

Agreed, 2 blue signs and big letters on the road.

mattyfez · 19 Oct 2011 at 22:19

pokerking said:
Leeds is quite bad for motorists, so many bus lanes it is quite easy to make a mistake and if you do, £30 fine coming through your letter box.

It's a nightmare if you don't know the one way system, which I don't, because I don't drive there often - the one way system seems to send you anywhere apart from the direction you want to go in. :confused: