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Drove into bus lane by mistake |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: a whimsical world
Posts: 20,959
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Drove into bus lane by mistake
Driving in unfamiliar city centre yesterday, satnav told me to bear left and I drove into a camera monitored bus lane by mistake and realised too late and had no option but to carry on. There were no buses or any other traffic around at the time. Will I definitely get a penalty fine in the post, or is there an amnesty on Christmas/Boxing Day? Also I understand it's not a criminal offence so just a fine not penalty points?
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#2 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: London
Posts: 247
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Quote:
Driving in unfamiliar city centre yesterday, satnav told me to bear left and I drove into a camera monitored bus lane by mistake and realised too late and had no option but to carry on. There were no buses or any other traffic around at the time. Will I definitely get a penalty fine in the post, or is there an amnesty on Christmas/Boxing Day? Also, I understand it's not a criminal offence so just a fine, not penalty points?
![]() It happens and here in London, you have bus lane cams, traffic light cams, speed cams and the buses have cameras as well as camera cars. Usually the bus takes a picture but at yellow boxes the cams put up for public safety have lasers that take automatic pics when a vehicle is even slightly in the yellow box and static for more than a second. Depends on were you live you have a 50/50 chance and shoul arrive within 14 days - You may have got away with it - Good luck love. |
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#3 |
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 39,227
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You are allowed to drive in a bus lane outside of its hours of operation, I took my driving test earlier this year and my instructor actually told me I would get minors for not driving in it on test because it becomes a normal driving lane and is furthest to the left. Do you know if it was in operation when you were driving in it?
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#4 |
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Join Date: Mar 2004
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I had a look today and there is a ?automated camera (the ones with multiple round holes) monitoring the bus lane.
There is signage but in mitigation the weather was awful yesterday and i wasn't paying enough attention. There was a BMW behind me in the bus lane, I think he must have been unfamiliar and following me & I led him astray too!
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#5 |
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Join Date: Mar 2004
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Quote:
You are allowed to drive in a bus lane outside of its hours of operation, I took my driving test earlier this year and my instructor actually told me I would get minors for not driving in it if it is in-operational during the time of my test because it becomes a normal driving lane and is furthest to the left. Do you know if it was in operation when you were driving in it?
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#6 |
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Join Date: Mar 2004
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Googled and I'm shocked how much of a money spinner they are for local councils, raking in £millions.
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#7 |
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: colchester
Posts: 15,350
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No doubt there was signage and a different coloured road surface.
As to whether there are exemptions, it would depend on the legislation enacted for that authority. There are different rules for London to the rest of the country. Starting points http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2...ulation/8/made http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/1...art/II/enacted https://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/do.../file/fid/4033 |
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#8 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: London
Posts: 247
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Sorry, forgot to mentionas the other poster said, bus lane times varies and can be 24hrs or different hours and days EG Mon to Friday 10 to 12 and Mon to Friday 3 to 7/etc.
The cam you are talking of is a number plate recognition camera as one of my exes told me - I thought it was a cam, speed cam combined into one but I was wrong |
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#9 |
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Quote:
Googled and I'm shocked how much of a money spinner they are for local councils, raking in £millions.
I think the money has to be reinvested in road schemes and safety anyhow. |
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#10 |
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Quote:
Sorry, forgot to mentionas the other poster said, bus lane times varies and can be 24hrs or different hours and days EG Mon to Friday 10 to 12 and Mon to Friday 3 to 7/etc.
The cam you are talking of is a number plate recognition camera as one of my exes told me - I thought it was a cam, speed cam combined into one but I was wrong
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#11 |
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They are only a money spinner if people don't check the signs and road colouring.
I think the money has to be reinvested in road schemes and safety anyhow. |
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#12 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: London
Posts: 247
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Quote:
Oh well I'm expecting a fine then. Apparently it's £60 reduced to £30 for prompt payment. I hate city driving
![]() xx |
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#13 |
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Sarf London
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Bus lanes have signs telling you when in operation, ie 7-10am 4-7 pm Monday to Friday. A Bank holiday usually has the same operating hours at a Sunday so you'll more than likely be fine.
If you don't know what hours the bus lane was operating try finding it on Google maps to have a look. |
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#14 |
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Join Date: Sep 2011
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Quote:
They are only a money spinner if people don't check the signs and road colouring.
I think the money has to be reinvested in road schemes and safety anyhow. |
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#15 |
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Join Date: Jun 2002
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If it's any of the ones in Norwich no one will notice.
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#16 |
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Join Date: Apr 2005
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I doubt if the revenue is ring fenced for road improvement. Methinks it's more likely to fill in council budget shortfalls.
https://www.kingston.gov.uk/info/200...ne_penalties/6 |
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#17 |
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Quote:
They are only a money spinner if people don't check the signs and road colouring.
I think the money has to be reinvested in road schemes and safety anyhow. |
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#18 |
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Local councils make used car salesmen and lawyers look like the pope.
Perhaps you have been reading too much of Private Eye. |
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#19 |
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Join Date: Apr 2006
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Quote:
They are only a money spinner if people don't check the signs and road colouring.
I think the money has to be reinvested in road schemes and safety anyhow. The money from the cameras is then used in to installing more bus lanes and speed bumps. This comes at the expense of pavement and road space and usually exacerbates the traffic problem even more. There have been a lot of accidents in one area where the bus lane weaves all over the place and half way down the road swaps from one side of the road to another. |
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#20 |
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Join Date: Sep 2010
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Friend of mine once drove the whole way through Dublin in bus lanes because he was late for a concert at The Point.
He made it, too!
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#21 |
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Join Date: Sep 2012
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Oh well I'm expecting a fine then. Apparently it's £60 reduced to £30 for prompt payment. I hate city driving
![]() I'd imagine you'll be okay, but if you do get a large fine, just get in touch with them and query that if buses aren't running, it should be okay. Remain calm, they may let you off if you're charged. |
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#22 |
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It was Boxing Day, and the buses weren't running (at least they weren't outside of massive cities; I don't know whether they were running in London etc).
I'd imagine you'll be okay, but if you do get a large fine, just get in touch with them and query that if buses aren't running, it should be okay. Remain calm, they may let you off if you're charged.
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#23 |
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Join Date: Mar 2004
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I remember my brother got pulled over by the police when he drove into a bus lane at Christmas time about 10 years ago. I was passenger at the time. There weren't bus lane cameras back then and I think in those days it was police enforcement rather than councils. The policeman said as it was Christmas he was just going to give a verbal warning.
Is it true that the UK has more public space cameras - CCTV, speed cameras, bus lane cameras etc - than most other countries? |
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#24 |
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Join Date: Sep 2009
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Seeing as this is a thread in general discussion and not advice I'll say this, why do a lot of people seem incapable of reading the road and road signage anymore and just rely so heavily on their sat navs especially in places where you don't know the roads and don't know the rules of those of those roads.
There's a bus lane near me that is only in operation from something like 06.30 - 09.00 and then 16.30 -18.00 and despite the lane having been like that for at least two years people still clog up the right side lane even if they are turning left blocking all the ones going straight ahead outside of those hours. Read the bloody road signs! |
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#25 |
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Devon
Posts: 12,838
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Quote:
I'd say a 50/50 chance. So expect a fine and if you don't get one, it's a bonus, good luck
xx @Ovalteenie - Definitely appeal it on Compassionate and Goodwill to All Men Holiday grounds if you get a ticket. I'm all for reducing congestion (and improving safety for Speed cameras), but Revenue Raising is immoral Note that your mitigation doesn't really cut the mustard, but your honesty is refreshing. Try to pay attention when driving! ![]() We all make mistakes though. I beat myself up when I do. |
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He made it, too!
