Free Traffic Legal Advice
Live cases legal advice => Civil penalty charge notices (Councils, TFL and so on) => Topic started by: aamohit on September 01, 2026, 11:48:32 am
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OK, but your only avenue to attempt to get the PCN cancelled, is to first submit representations to the council that whilst there is an adavance warning of a width restriction, there is nothing about the bus gate. They will inevitably reject those reps. You then have the choice of paying the PCN, (the council will probably re-offer the discount if your reps were sent within the discout period), or registering an appeal at the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, claiming the signage is inadequate to advise motorists of the restriction. My view is that you would lose, because the signs are approached head-on and visible from some distance away.
Did you actually know what the signs meant as the video shows you driving through them with no hesitation at all ?
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The warning sign doesn't really mean the middle lane will unexpectedly turn into a bus gate ahead. By the time I realised there is a bus gate, it was to late to manoeuvre without disrupting the driver behind.
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You come up to these head-on, and they are also illuminated at night, so you wouldn't expect advance warning; for instance would you have passed these signs if they were No Entry signs ? There is a gap warning sign; did you notice this ?
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ktg468595jsXsvae9
Having said the above, The signage could be a lot better, with the advance warning sign giving better indication of the restriction. What you have to prove is that the signage is inadeqate.Councils are under a duty in Regulation 18 (1)(a) of The Local Authorities’ Traffic Orders (Procedure) (England and Wales) Regulations 1996
If you can persuade an adjudicator that the signage is inadequate, then you win and pay nothing. However, you must risk the full PCN penalty at adjudication, but there are no additional costs.
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Upon approaching the location, there were no clear, visible advance warning signs indicating that a bus lane/bus gate was ahead. By the time I reached the start of the bus lane marking on the road, it was already too late to safely maneuver out of the lane and back into the main traffic stream without creating a road safety hazard for other road users. As clearly seen in the video there was a car just behind me and moving over to normal lane would have created a safety hazard.
Under the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions (TSRGD) and statutory guidance, road traffic authorities have a duty to ensure that signage is clear, unambiguous, and placed sufficiently in advance of any restriction to allow motorists a fair opportunity to alter their route. In this instance, the lack of advance signage failed to provide adequate warning.
Images and Videos in one link: https://imgpile.com/p/QBd4Elm
Photos:
https://imgpile.com/m/jG38pWJ
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Video:
https://imgpile.com/m/3qLkeef
PCN:
https://imgpile.com/p/k6HBMmk
Maps:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7NsebzcoDXAzF3yw7