4th April 2025I have a tribunal coming up because of a "contravention" (i think the contravention was building the gate in the first place!) Anyway.... There are two things I am trying to find out before 22nd April 2025 when I am having a video link tribunal regarding the bus gate:.....
One:
What is the bus gate for? Is it a) a traffic calming device? Is it b) a way of letting the bus stop and let all the traffic pass for a few minutes? Is it c) a way to stop busses colliding with cars at that point ? Does anyone know ? Is it d) And I honestly don't mean to make a joke here) Is it a way for Harrow Council to make plenty of money?
d) I have found out that the bus "gate" attracts so many PCN fines that they council are making 100s of 1000's of pounds each year. The figures are out there so we don't need to discuss that now.....
Two:
How many accidents (even just small dents and scratches etc have there been at this point in the road? The width limit signs are just that.. they don't indicate a bus lane imminent.
Does anyone know of data requests from the Motor Insurers Bureau (
https://www.mib.org.uk/ ) ?
I would like to know if there have been accidents reported at the precise sopt. The bit where you have clocked the "BUS LANE" sign in the road and you have only got time to yank at the steering when while checking the mirror at the same time to avoid going through the bus lane. I personally will be argueing at the tribunal that the whole idea of having to make a last sub-second desicion while navigating the road for the first time is a DANGER to other road users. It requires either the safe option of driving through the gaate or an very counter intuitive sudden swap to the outer lane to the right.
In my case I was clearly at a safe distance from the bus ahead of me but all oncoming traffic was obscured buy the bus. The middle lane which I was supposed to have driven into could have had traffic coming in MY direction for all I could tell.
My level of forward observation is, I think, quite good. But nothing warned me of the impending bus lane only section. And to avoid it is asking the general population of good drivers to make a dangerous decision I think.
So I would like to say now I think we all ought to organise a petition (gather 50,000 signatures) for a legal submission to the house of commons (or where ever they go) to have the Council members who have enjoyed raking it in with traffic fine SACKED ! And the the road device to be removed and all drivers fined from the gate reimbursed.
I know this will not happen and that my tribunal will not succeed because of all the secret hand shakes that the council do with law enforcement. They desperately want the money from us car drivers to put into the Harrow coffers.
All people interested in a petition (there should be a way of finding out who all of the previous PCN victims were and contacting them for signatures) please use the message system to send me your emails. I'll try to organise something.
Kevin Peters.
