Bus lanes and their cameras

[Moriarty]

I was the proud recipient of two (yes, two) penalty charge notices today. One for the 15th and one for the 24th Feb. Both have been taken by the same camera and both have me riding in a bus lane - yes, bang to rights in a bus lane.

My questions to you intelligent chaps:

1. I was pictured in the bus lane whilst filtering through traffic. The bus lane was empty and I had no intention of being in the lane for more than a few seconds. There were also no buses behind me nor was I obstructing anything. Does anyone else here do this?
2. Although I was caught bang to rights on the 15th Feb, I did not receive the notices until this morning (8 March). As Islington have not informed me of the notices in a timely fashion (I would have stopped if I knew I was on candid camera), is there anything I can do to reduce the number of charges I am likely to get for the period between the 15th and today? (I received the charges this morning but there may well be more on the way)...
3. Has anyone else been in this situation where a number of offences have racked up before you were notified about the first one?

Matt.

P.s. the camera in question is mounted very high up and covers the southbound carriageway on City road next to Finsbury square.

[will]

tut tut, you criminal! riding in a bus lane...outrageous flouting of the laws of the land.

annoyingly for you i think there is a trial going on in parts of london with a view to extending it across the city, as in bristol.

if the notices had arrived more promptly, would you have got it at a reduced rate like with a partking ticket? if so, I would ring them up and plead with them. it's not like you're trying to get out of it, just asking for fair treatment.

as far as getting a discount for bulk, no idea.

good luck

[Magoo]

I ride in bus lanes but happen to know the route very well so have so far (touch wood) not got a ticket for it. :?

In terms of timely fassion, the letter of the law sets timely fassion as a month so they have not missed that mark yet and in terms of not informing you fast to allow you to stop riding in bus lanes, it won't hold because the law is that you can't and getting it ticket should not make you more or less aware of that law, you knew you were not allowed to so getting a ticket has no bearing on your actions. :roll:

This sounds harsh but don't take it the wrong way, I think it is a stupid law and should be changed sooner rather than later but I know from experience that this is the case. Sorry matey! :cry:

[Kate]

They are trialling the A23 for allowing bikes in the bus lane, apart from that I believe we are liable for penalities as car drivers :(

I worked with someone a few years ago who got caught by a speed camera 3 days in a row. He got 3 points each time and the 3rd time it took him up and over and ended up with a 3 month's ban, IIRC. Not the news you were hoping for.

[Spiderman]

What a pain in the ass.

First thing i'd do (and i know it sounds silly) is check all the facts on the notices to be correct and also check the times of operation of the bus lane. You'd be suprised how mant are just signposted wrongly.

If those are ok i'd attempt an appeal, tho you have no leg to stand on, but at the end of the day you have nothing to loose either.

Maybe along the lines of "i was only filtering past that one car, sur;ey if a car had two wheels over the line into a bus lane he wouldnt get a ticket as he is not using the lane at all, just happens to be over the line.
You'd really have to sell that well, cos they could have you on video passing 20 cars or so, or it could be a static camera.

I got done once in a bus lane and they sent me 2 pics of me doing it. In a car that was though... so i sent em a cheque.

Where i live NW london they have the trial on for bikes in the bus lane, if you offence wa anywhere near one of those "trial lanes" then use that as a justification maybe.

Worst comes to the worst pay em and get em off your back and be gratefull they dont give points for bus lane offences.

Loads of balls imo, this whole "trial". If its safe enough for pedal bikes to be overtaken by buses then its safe enough for motorbikes to use the bus lane.


Good luck anyway ;)

[Red ones]

Have you tried the "I was forced to take avoiding action after a car suddenly changed lane without indication" line?

Obviously don't use the same excuse on both tickets on the same day/letter etc

[kjames]

i tihnk bus lane cameras are generally video cameras and therefore would be able to prove easily if you 'swerved to avoid '

i got a ticket up at stapeles corner.. really annoyed me as there was any other traffic about and i'd just moved across into the left lane for the roundabout too early..

paid up and im just bitter about it.

[BillyC]

They are trialling the A23 for allowing bikes in the bus lane, apart from that I believe we are liable for penalities as car drivers

Before we all start going up and down the A23 and getting bus-lane tickets left-right-and-centre, the trial is limited to the A23 road between Streatham and Kennington.

Yes.. cars are excluded, because they're slow congestion causing boxes. The theory behind the trial, is that no bike or moped will ever actually slow down a bus because it's in their lane - cyclists on the other hand are a totally different matter - just look at Oxford Street!

[REEVESIE]

I recieved an unexpected letter marked from Lambeth Parking Services a little while back in inside was a fine with a picture of me riding (Filtering) in a bus lane on tulse hill.
Apart from the picture there was also a link for a site on the internet where you could go and view the other five or so pictures of yourself in the bus lane if you wanted to dispute the ticket.

It was on the lambeth borough website. It might be some use to you to view these other images.

[Bikeman]

I was caught twice in a week with the same camera in Catford. I wrote a grovelling email explaining that if I had known about the first offence, I would have stayed out of the bus lane. They let me off of the second offence :)

Certainly worth an email.

[Pensioner Pete]

Moriarty, did you by any chance, being an experienced town rider, not rely on your instincts of self preservation, and accdently move into the bus to to avoid :
Colliding with the nearside door of a vehicle close to the bus lane delineating line, which was about to open on you, as you could the passenger making a move for the door. It was only when you sounded the horn (which will not be heard on camera) that the passenger resisted opening the door. so you were able to return to the carriageway safely, after having to find a suitable gap in the traffic.
OR
You could see & smell where some oil or diesel had been spilled on the road surface, (cameras don't have scent sensors) sufficient to possibly cause you to lose traction, so took avoiding action, unfortunately drifting into the bus lane momentarily, in the instincts of safe riding & self preservation.
OR
The road surface at that position had some loose material, e.g. gravel, stones, car parts (like the odd bumper overrider often seen, or mudflap)
nails or srews, etc. Got the idea?
Ask for copies of the pictures first though, 'cos if you bombed through the length of the lane and near illegal speeds, none of the foregoing will count.
Start saving or learn to spin a yarn. I'll tell a few tonight, maybe ! :wink:

[Spiderman]

Lots of good advice.....

Start saving or learn to spin a yarn. :wink:

With the best being the finishing line.

[PsychoCannon]

i do pass one bus line on my regular route and filter in it, no cameras that i know of and i tend to ride on the white divider line so i'd imagine they'd be hard pressed to say i was in the bus lane.
I've not in a year and a half yet held up a bus ^_^.
I've had to swerve well into the lane before though for some **** deciding to do a wide U turn to get out of traffic *Shakes fist*

[yamahaR1]

I know for a fact that this works for any picture taken speeding ticket but not sure about bus lane offences and am sure that it won't work for parking tickets either.

Is there a part on the form sent to you asking if you were not the driver ? If there is then send it back saying that (make up a name and address of some one that lives in the US) "blah blah" borrowed it. You will not here another word back !! (I must stress that I know for a fact that this works on speeding tickets without photographic evidence of your person but am not sure about bus lane offences !!!)

Good luck.....

[the_runt69]

Got Two loverly pictures of me in the Car turning out of a petrol station in Stansted Rd on the South Circular and then turning right into Brockley rise at 11.00 O'Clock in the morning. They had just changed the bus lane from 7-10 and 4-7 to 7-7. Paid the fine to take advantage of the early pay then appealed.
As I had turned right into the Petrol station, then left out of it the sign which tells the times of operation was not visable. The garage got a petition going as a lot of people get caught when they changed the time.
The Upshot is the council have now moved the sign to just after the exit to the garage and refunded all those of us who appealed. It works sometimes.

H

[Pensioner Pete]

Its all very well having these prohibition signs plastered all over the landscape, and then moving them or chanigin the conditions, but can anyone enlighten me as to how a rider/driver is supposed to be able to read them in the winter months when darkness descends around 4.30pm?
Especially as your bike lights ought not to point skywards, where any signs are posted, and the signs themselves are unilluminated.