Penalty charge notice in bus stop?

Hi everyone,

I've been awarded a penalty notice for going through a bus stop on a Sunday morning - there's a photo in the back of the charge notice and I'm pretty sure it was me.

When I checked the details, apparently the bus stop was part of a bus lane. I was surprised, as both are coloured brick red instead of black and also there was no clear sign to differentiate the bus lane from the bus stop.

I needed to make a left hand-turn anyway.

Any ideas if I should protest or am I just an idiot?

Hi,

How far was the left turn away? Plus what were the road signs and road markings?

If the were loads of signs and a solid white line between the bus lane and the normal lane, i would say your pretty much screwed. However if the line was broken this generally means you can move over for the left turn.

If you do decide to protest, take a few pictures and get some legal advice.

However you have to bear in mine that the original fine is only £30 or £40 quid, go to court and you could be up with costs (£100 - £200).

Hmmm.

There were no direct signs within the area - about 30 yards before I arrived at the bus stop, I was in a car lane and then just popped over when I saw the bus stop sign - the left hand turn isn't captured on the image and I have no idea where the road is! Somewhere in London ....tried going back to see it and I didn't find it.

I didn't realise it was a bus lane at all - short term memory between avoiding the bus lane well before I saw the bus stop.

Looking back over my records, I did a similar mistake at Clerkenwell London, when I went through a bus stop when it turned out to be a bus lane with a bus stop impregnated on the top of the lane. With such short visibility in a clogged road, it's so hard to differentiate.

Is that a good defence?

Originally Posted by Trojan Horse

Looking back over my records, I did a similar mistake at Clerkenwell London, when I went through a bus stop when it turned out to be a bus lane with a bus stop impregnated on the top of the lane. With such short visibility in a clogged road, it's so hard to differentiate.

Is that a good defence?

No.

I would say NOT!

As Lee says, if you crossed a thick solid white line you're screwed. If there was no line, or it was broken, you may have a case.

[Spiderman]

Sadly youre gonna have to suffer this one mate.

As a piece of advice... stay out of any bus lanes in London unless you have seent the blue sign telling you of its times of operation etc.

they vary so much from one area to another....and then there are the bus lanes that are currently part of the "bikes in bus lanes" test, that you are allowed in.

If you dont come into london that often then just play safe and avoid them all.
Even for someone like me who has lived here all my life nearly and used the roads everyday i still find it hard to spot the right signs in amongst the urban jungle of road signs and other street furniture. Add to that lemming pedestrians, cyclists who think they are imune to traffic laws of any kind etc etc and its just too much to take in some days.