A recent analysis reveals that London drivers are winning more than half of their appeals against bus lane fines, raising concerns about enforcement practices
London: You won’t believe this! Drivers in London are winning over half of their appeals against bus lane fines. It’s a big deal, right? A new report shows that 56% of these appeals were either upheld or not even contested last year.
So, what’s going on? The AA took a look at the stats from London Councils, which covers all 32 boroughs and the City of London. They found that nearly 7,300 appeals were successful. That’s a lot of drivers getting their fines overturned!
But here’s the kicker: the AA is worried about why drivers have to go through all this hassle. They think many fines could have been canceled right away if drivers just complained to the councils first.
In fact, during a three-week period, six councils couldn’t even provide the necessary paperwork to back up the fines they issued. Those councils included Lambeth, Croydon, Harrow, Redbridge, Greenwich, and the City of London. As a result, adjudicators canceled those fines, but the AA believes this is just the tip of the iceberg.
For every successful appeal, there are probably hundreds of drivers who just pay up to get a discount, even if their fines were invalid. It’s a bit of a mess, really.
Fines should only be given out when the Traffic Management Orders are valid. But many adjudicators have ruled in favor of drivers because councils failed to show they had the right paperwork for their enforcement cameras.
Luke Bosdet from the AA said it’s outrageous to issue fines for restrictions that have expired. While some drivers are fighting back, many others are just paying up without knowing they shouldn’t have to.
In October, it was revealed that Southwark Council didn’t even have a valid TMO for its busiest bus lane. Drivers there received thousands of fines, racking up over half a million pounds in total!
A spokesperson from the Department for Transport said local authorities need to ensure that penalties are fair. Meanwhile, London Councils encourages anyone who thinks a fine is unfair to appeal it.
