Free Traffic Legal Advice

The next bay is a 30 mins parking bay so it's not surprising people get confused. The signs do not face traffic so it's difficult to read them without contravening no stopping depending on others cars parked in the bay. 

What were you doing as loading and disabled parking are exemptions at that time.

Yes it's hard to read the signs whilst you're driving because they face forward, so you have to actually drive past them first to read them. So realistically you need to pull in to the space to read the sign properly, especially if there's traffic behind you on the main road.

However, I was not loading/unloading and I do not have a blue badge. I parked in the white bay to go to an appointment because I wrongly assumed the red route signs were applicable to single red lines and red boxes only. (In the same way yellow signs tell you when you can park on single yellow lines). I thought the white boxes were 'normal' spaces. It was my mistake. But seeing as it was a mistake I wasn't sure if I could use the use of CCTV to issue the fine as a legal defence or not, seeing as the information I've read on the topic has been quite confusing 

Hi All,

I was sent a postal PCN from TfL dated 20 August 2024, due to parking in a bay on a red route during restricted hours. The bay I parked in was a WHITE bay/box, surrounded by red lines further down the road. I genuinely thought the 'red' route signs were applicable to 'red' lines and 'red' bays/boxes only, and that WHITE boxes were normal parking spaces outside of the red route restrictions.

This is clearly a case of me not knowing the correct rules of the road, I accept full responsibility of that, however given it was a genuine (albeit stupid) mistake, I would obviously like to avoid paying the £80/£160 fine if there is a legal grounds to do so.

I have seen multiple people site 'Commercial Plant Services Ltd & others v Transport for London (2230060716, 25 May 2023)' to appeal their PCNs, stating it is unlawful for TfL to serve a postal PCN using CCTV. However I have also seen quite a few people saying TfL still responded and rejected their appeals on that basis.

I'm really hoping someone could please let me know if it is in fact illegal for TfL to issue the PCN using CCTV and therefore a solid case to appeal, or if this is no longer viable and I need to just pay the £80?


The PCN:


Google Maps street view: https://maps.app.goo.gl/VwCZ77FFkUhg2Z256

Thank you in advance for any help.
Rachel