Free Traffic Legal Advice

I've been snapped in the yellow box of a high st. It's a fairly new box on Wanstead High St and placed just ahead of a zebra crossing - which has caused dangerous driving by some when they try to avoid being left in the box through no fault of their own.


When entering the box, the bus in front didn't look like it was about to stop and there was no one on the crossing at that point, so I should have had a clear exit.
Then when a pedestrian has stepped out unexpectedly, the bus has had to stop forcing me to stay in the box. There were no stationary vehicles in front of me when I entered the box.

I have the video from the council which I can share here if it helps. Below is the image they have supplied with the PCN.
The local councillors have already been contacted by locals and have been in touch with highway and parking officers about the new yellow box.
Apparently they have been informed that drivers should not be penalised for stopping to allow pedestrians to cross.

As you can see it's quite a long junction box. After the bus had stopped and I was stuck in the box, I tried to very slowly creep forward so I wasn't at a complete stop for more than 3 seconds.

Here's the video:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lgo48tiUzYxpcGxnPPT4uqccfvbosF3d/view?usp=sharing

And the PCN is attached.
If anything else is required, please let me know.

It's a slam dunk contravention if you did stop - you just charged in.

I disagree, anything less than 5 seconds could be argued to be de minimis, the video shows that if the OP's car did stop it certainly stopped for less than a second.

5 seconds is an eternity. It's a no stopping contravention and there are no de minimus rules but less than a second could win.

But the car didn't actually stop.

Pause the video and move it along a small step at a time (e.g. half a second). The car is always moving forward.

OP, let's cut to the chase.

If you are the registered keeper then you're off to adjudication because IMO there is no way that the authority would accept your argument. And in my experience an adjudicator won't agree either. The car clearly caused the nuisance the prohibition is designed to address because the bus to your left set off immediately the obstruction, the car, moved. IMO the adjudicator would not engage in a millimetre by millimetre forensic examination.

But views differ.

Whether left or right, it set off immediately the obstruction ceased.

IMO, an adjudicator would see what's immediately evident from the video i.e. a car charging into a box on the tail of a bus without being able to see, and therefore not assessing, the road conditions ahead and being forced to stop within the box because of the stationary bus.

But maybe they wouldn't? I wouldn't put any money on a favourable outcome on this point.

If the car was never stationary there is no contravention. There is at least one adjudicator who will take time to examine the footage frame by frame and will sometimes give the benefit of doubt to the appellant where it's not clear so this treatment can be insisted on in a personal hearing.