Drivers blast ‘UK’s most baffling bus lane’ where £1.9m of fines given in a year

DRIVERS have slammed a confusing bus lane where £1.9million in fines have been handed out this year.

The 70-metre stretch of road near Clapham Common, south west London, has collected more than 15,000 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) since October 2021.

2

2

Since being made permanent in 2000, Clapham Park Road bus lane is thought to have brought in £6million in fines.

Richard Newell, 36, fought the local council earlier this year and won his case after he was caught turning into it.

Local motorists say signs warning drivers not to use the bus lane to turn left are unclear.

Drivers claim an arrow marked on the road appears to urge them to use it.

The fine, if paid early, is £65 but rises to £130.

It means Lambeth Council has pocketed between £985,075 and in excess of £1.9 million, a Freedom of Information request shows.

With March this year being the highest-earning for the council, 1,472 fines were issued.

This could have seen the council receive between £95,680 and £191,60 in just 31 days.

An AA spokesperson said these kind of lanes are “scary” as they’re expected to be rolled out across the UK.

“It is beggars belief that, after all these years of driver protests and traffic penalty tribunal adjudicators allowing appeals because the junction layout and signage is flawed, this bus lane continues to trap so many drivers,” they added.

“When is the local authority going to accept that motorists don’t throw themselves like lemmings into bus lanes for the ‘joy’ of getting a fine in a cost of living crisis?

“Probably never, because it’s such a nice big earner for the council.

“This year, adjudicators have again condemned this bus lane and, clearly, enforcement with poor signage isn’t fair or doing its job in keeping the lane free for buses – simply because it is issuing so many fines.

“I suspect the locals are very aware of what they should do at this junction but, for anyone coming from outside the area and unfamiliar with the road, it’s a potential nightmare.

BUS-TED

“The adjudicator’s concern about how well the warning signs show up at night is a problem the AA has seen with other London bus lanes that have turned into fines’ magnets.

“What really scares the AA and drivers is that this type and quality of enforcement is now being rolled out to councils across England.”

The lane is signposted with filter lights for buses, cabs and bikes – which some could find confusing.

However, a spokesperson for Lambeth Council said: “Our bus lanes are clearly marked and comply with all regulations and standards.

“People who illegally drive in bus lanes cause delays to bus passengers and other commuters.

“We regularly check our signs and road markings where we enforce using CCTV to ensure we are compliant, and the vast majority of motorists who use Lambeth roads every day do so without receiving a Penalty Charge Notice.

“The bus lane in Clapham Park Road is clearly marked and complies with all regulations and standards.

“However, if a motorist feels that he or she has been issued with a ticket unfairly they are able to challenge it and we have an independent appeal process.”