Free Traffic Legal Advice

Yes and I think this is key. If I had driven into the road myself, I would have been aware, but having swapped drivers and with no signages facing my direction from where I started my journey, I wouldn't know any restrictions applied.

Are the signages ok, is whats there considered adequete and reasonable for a motorist to see if they travel the wrong way?

Hi All,

I thought I was doing well until after xmas, I had the unfortunate luck in receiving 3 PCN's between Boxing day and mid-January! I've managed to bat away 2 of them but this one I feel is a sticky one.

I drove the wrong way on a way way street. Here is the back story:

My wife drove the vehicle in turning right from Barking Road and into Hartley Avenue where she met me. We realised then that this was the wrong road for the customer parking for the children's Flip-Out. We swapped drivers at this point (and she left with our child to go to the kids play centre): Here is where she pulled into, and we swapped drivers https://maps.app.goo.gl/deoHQxKsF8aGapMY8

I turned the car around and turned left driving back out towards Barking road. I then received a PCN via post telling me it was a 1-way street. I appealed the PCN on the grounds that a vehicle starting its journey from that drive-through does not receive any direction to turn right, and after turning left, there is no road signage indicating that I can not exit/enter into Barking Road here. Appeal below:

My wife was driving the vehicle entering into Hartley Avenue and met me there as we were to take our son to flip-out Barking road. We realised this was the wrong street for the customer parking. She left the vehicle with me while she took our son inside, and I proceeded to drive the vehicle to the next street.

The vehicle was pulled up on the driveway at this location https://maps.app.goo.gl/DaK6mpY8MrKKs3Gn9 shown on Google Street view, and I proceeded to drive out onto Barking road.
As the images show on Google street view, a driver pulling out of this driveway has no indication that this is a one-way restricted street. There are no signposts facing a vehicle from this location directing it to turn right. They are solely relying on their local knowledge and if they were the person who drove the car into the street, for which I was not. As stated earlier, my wife drove the car into the street, I was not a passenger in the vehicle at the time either, and left me with the vehicle and I drove the car back onto Hartley Avenue and Baring road.
Schedule 9 of the road Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 clearly outlines the responsibility of local authorities to ensure motorists are informed of directions at each entry point onto the road and with road markings which are visible, clear and facing the correct direction.
It is for these reasons I believe that there was no failure to comply with a one-way restriction / indication on a sign.

It was rejected, they state there is a signpost at Winter Road  - this I find irrelevant, since I or my wife driving did not reach Winter Road, I gave them the location of where the vehicle reached and turned round.

Here is the PCN Via post
https://ibb.co/SX4HRWVx
https://ibb.co/0RKwSTdq
https://ibb.co/237qf9j5
https://ibb.co/Mx6X5g4q

Notice of Rejection I have left the PCN and Reg in if anyone wants to see the video, but there is not alot there.
https://ibb.co/TBd5ff0Z
https://ibb.co/zhVNpJ3B

Any hope of challenging this?

Back to your dashcam please. You've posted up a still image. Are you saying this is a frame from when the car was in motion and not yet parked? IE approaching the sign on the pole visible on the offside of the road?

I assume so, so it seems that the Council believe your frame is a still from when the car was stationary and parked in the bay. Not a frame from when it was approaching the parking place. Seems the Council believe you were parked on the double yellow lines on the nearside.

I think you need to make this clearer because at first reading I understood your photo to be of when the car was stationary and parked on the left side of the raod. Yes indeed the pole visible to the offide has no suspension sign however is not relevsnt if it it's on the opposite pavement to where you parked.

I'm concerned that an Adjudicator might also read your submission the same way and misunderstand the realtionship between where you actually parked and the signpost.

You case is that there was no suspension sign in-situ in the bay on the right hand side of the road, where is where you parked, at the time that you parked. The suspension notice was installed at some unknown time after you parked. So make that very clear. Your dashcam image was taken just before you reached the parking bay and confirms that the suspension notice was not in place. This is the same pole visible in the CEO's evidence photo that shows the same pole at the offside rear of your car after you'd parked.

Please revise your draft nd post it up.

Thanks for your feedback. Yes the image is of my vehicle on approach to the bay, while in motion...let me know if this is better...


I parked my vehicle on Sunday, 21st July 2024 at approximately 20:50pm at Virginia Road, where I am a resident permit holder. My vehicle was removed on the 23rd of July 2024 at 10:57am for allegedly parking in an suspended bay. After paying the £265 fine to recover my vehicle I appealed the PCN and removal as instructed by the Enforcement Authority.

In my appeal submission to the EA, I provided images from my dashcam which shows my vehicle on approach to the parking bay. The image is a still image which capture's the signage at the last possible moment, as dashcams are forward facing, needed the image to be from an angle which shows the signage in its view. Please see images from dashcam attached as evidence. This sign post is the same  as this taken from a google maps location highlighting that this is the same bay where my vehicle was removed from and the last signage on the road where I parked. https://maps.app.goo.gl/t99GA6a5zUH8GuxT9
However, the EA in their response, state that the dashcam image is "only showing the street in front of the vehicle", they also state the CEO’s images indicate that the suspension notice is behind my vehicle, further highlighting the complete lack of knowledge or investigative skills to understand that a dashcam can not see out the side of a vehicle, and therefore this image would have been the last taken of the relevant bay and signpost.
The EA state in their notice of rejection that notices were put in place on 18th July, however, the date and timestamp of the image from my dashcam contradicts this. I can not be certain if this signpost was missed or if it had been vandalised after being placed.

The image I provided from my dashcam, plus the image from CEO is of the same parking signplate pole. However, the EA fail to acknowledge this and rely on this to reject my appeal. This can be verified by the google maps image given above and the painting on the wall behind the signage on all images.
Furthermore, there is a procedural impropriety on the part of the EA. The Trafic Management Act 2004 stipulates that a notice of rejection must be served within 56 days of the appeal, however the EA has not been able to provide any evidence that this was sent by post, or by email within the regulated timeframe.

Hi All,

So after threatening me with costs and demanding I disclose confidential customer information to cancel the PCN, they've decided to withdraw their contest at tribunals 

OK last night I submitted a late appeal explaining the circumstances, they also wanted me to submit my whole representation with it. Will post up later tonight.

Thanks. Agree that it is at odds with the PCN to follow that process, and I I would have thought they would need to write to the registered owner? but to get the info within 1 working day is unlikely to have registered owners details (since it ain't me!).

I wonder if they are relying on this flimsy document they attached to the PCN and gave to me when I paid their charge... https://ibb.co/8M7b8CY
https://ibb.co/QfLrxt4

I'll keep chasing that NoR letter through this week and then I will try submitting reps to London Tribunals explaining that this was not received previously.

I contacted Tower Hamlets council to get an update on this and they told me that this is now closed as they sent me "notice of rejection" the day after my appeal apparently - but I never received it. One of their staff told me that it might be something I need to take up with the Post Office?! - surely they are having a laugh!

There will be no charge certificate as I paid to have the car back.

I've asked them to email me the copy of the letter which I am now having to wait on. Do I have any rights left?