Free Traffic Legal Advice

Hi im hoping you can help me. Here is a background to my PCNs.

My daughter was performing at the Birmingham symphony hall so needed to drop her off in the morning, then return in the afternoon to watch her performance. I don't live in Birmingham and was lost and looking for where to drop her off. I never realised i was in a bus gate and it was a Sunday morning with virtually no traffic so i wasn't trying to avoid traffic congestion. I admit that i was clearly in a bus lane but without knowledge of it.

Birmingham City Council
Code 34 being in a bus lane
PCNs only arrived today so at the beginning of the process with 50% discount 

Broad street at bridge street inbound bus gate at 09:50 (dropping off my daughter)

Broad street at bridge street inbound bus gate at 09:59 (dropping off my daughter, i was driving round in circles looking for where i was suppose to be dropping off)

Broad street at bridge street inbound bus gate at 14.10  (going to watch the performance i had booked parking but dropped my mother who walks with a walking stick at the symphony hall then i went to the car park. She wouldnt have been able to walk from the car park)

Broad street at bridge street inbound bus gate at 18:31  (after watching the performance i went and picked the car up and drove back to collect my mother daughter and wife from the symphony hall)


All photos are in the exact same place. I am ok with paying for one off them as i was in a bus lane but it seems harsh to be done 4 times at £280 for 3 drop offs on the same day.

Looking at the photo on the pcn and remembering the route i would say this is the location. Im working on uploading the pcn


https://maps.app.goo.gl/AuDmwbyZjT4GNryd7


All 4 PCN are identical including the photo of the car and positioning. The only difference is time quoted, the pcn number and for some reason the 2nd one has an issue and posted date of 28/3/25 and the other 3 are 31/3/25 (they all arrived on the same day.
 

So i came onto Broad street at image 1 (dont believe this is a bus lane)

drove up and turned round at the Brasshouse at image 2

Drove down in image 3

Image 4 you can see where i forked off left ( through the bus gate where the camera has snapped me) and went round the back of the symphony hall to drop off.

Hi

My daughter is 17, i only dropped her off because she had lots of bags, makup, cotumes etc. I guess dropping my mother off (and someone to assist her)at the mid afternoon one because she cant walk far could be some mitigation but they will say i could have done that on GAS street.
I didnt turn round in gas street i turned round at the Brasshouse pub (where the white van is opposite in your picture) however yes it looks like i did then go down the bus route. This was totally me being stupid and too busy trying to find my way in an unfamiliar city rather than intentional. In the past i have fought successfully 3 private parking tickets with the help of MSE (one taking almost 5 years) but on this occasion and with a bankrupt Birmingham city council im not sure that there will be much sympathy for me from them and i was clearly in the wrong. If i were to appeal and lose would that mean i would also lose my right to a 50% discount? If so i it might be worth me eating humble pie and paying £140 rather that £280. What are your thoughts on the chance of success of getting a couple of them struck off considering at the minute they are £35 each?

@Incandescent could you please look at my Rep. thanks

Dear Sirs

I write with reference to
PCN -JJ14130671 @ 09:50 on Sunday 23/3/25
PCN -JJ14130423  @ 09:57 on Sunday 23/3/25
PCN -JJ14130864  @ 14:10 on Sunday 23/3/25
PCN -JJ14130900  @ 18:31 on Sunday 23/3/25

These are all for the same camera on Broad Street at Bridge Street Inbound bus gate
My daughter was performing in the Symphony Hall on this day, and I had to drop her off on the morning for final rehearsals. She had lots of bags and costumes to carry and has never been there before so I said that I would drop her and my wife outside (who was chaperoning the children for the performance and had extra costumes to take). I did try and call the symphony hall about where to drop off and about disabled parking availability, but the desk was closed on a Sunday. I entered Broad Street via Bridge Street looking for the Symphony Hall. I realised it was a little way down in the opposite direction so did a u turn and drove past looking for somewhere to stop (09:50). I was totally lost as I haven’t driven in Birmingham for some years. I went round again and took the same route this time dropping them at the rear of the symphony Hall at a service point. I then went home.
In the afternoon we travelled back to watch the performance. I had prebooked parking at the Mailbox but my mother who was coming to watch her granddaughter is unable to walk that far and requires assistance and a stick to walk. I now thought that I would take the same route to drop my mother and my daughter’s boyfriend at the same point at the rear of the hall (14:10). I then parked at the Mail box.
After the performance I walked to the Mail box and drove back to the rear of the Hall so that we could load the car up with the costumes and pick my mother up 18:31).

The road system around Broad Street is quite confusing and at no time was I aware that I had driven through the bus gate. I think the fact that I drove the same route 4 times is an indication that I was unaware and with there being little traffic on a Sunday it is also clear that I did not purposely use a bus lane to gain an advantage as there was no congestion. I have since looked on google street view and I am not denying that I was at fault, but 4 penalty charges feel disproportionate for a simple mistake.
Regards

Had a reply. They have rejected the 09:50 one but on image 4 they had said that the other 3 are going for further consideration. Odd that they didn't consider them at once. Maybe they are seeing if i pay the first one. If i start playing up they might just reject the others. Think i should pay and hope that they see that im being reasonable (as trump says, i don't really have any cards)

Imgur seems to be down. I will try and upload it from home later.

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