talkmagic.co.uk

...for driving my car into a bus lane during prohibited hours, but only because I was moving out the way for a police car? It was only for an instant, but that's all it takes for those cameras to snap you. The car behind me also moved into the bus lane for the police car because there was nowhere else for us to go.

I like to think common sense would prevail, but we are talking about the council here. Call me a pessimist, but I wouldn't be surprised to see a PCN on my doormat in due course.

Ask for photographic evidence, and hopefully it will show the said police car. You can then use this to state your case

give your local cop-shop a call and ask?

abraxus wrote:give your local cop-shop a call and ask?

I was going to do that when I got in but figured I would just wait instead. If the fine shows up, I'll call them then.

If the fine shows up, I'll call them then.

Im far far far from an expert, but if it does happen, the case will look a lot stronger if you called prior to there being a fine. It does look a bit dodgy if a fine appears and suddenly you make this claim!

If they do convict, it's time to call the editor of the local newspaper...

I'm not sure about this one but there was a story in my local newspaper of something similar.

A man was at a RED set of traffic lights and was first in the Q.
He had to cross the line of the traffic lights and mount the pavement to get out of the way of an ambulance.

The article said that he was recieved a fine due to the fact there were cameras on the traffic lights.

I don't think this sort of thing should happen - it not like you were cruising along in the bus lane.

I agree with wild card - ring your cop shop now rather than wait. and just ask where you would stand.

N

I called the council this morning and explained the situation. They said I should not receive a fine as it will show up on the CCTV that I was moving for the emergency services. I imagine this sort of thing happens all the time, especially on the Holloway Road (A1) where there are long stretches of bus lane. I'll wait and see what happens but I'm a bit more optimistic now.

I heard the same as Magicalneil - and it took a job to get the fine overturned which I think is a bit harsh.

Glad you should be ok though.

[rant]The fact that motorists are being fined under the circumstances outlined above, is ludicrous to the extreme. It just goes to show that those cameras are not just there for safety, but to generate extra income for the council under the most unjustifiable circumstances. It only serves to confirm my already firm beliefs that local councils are completely and utterly useless; they are only good at one thing and that is taking as much of our money of possible while giving as little in return as they possibly can.

If it turns out that I get a fine over this incident, I won't be paying. In fact, I'm willing to go to court over it. (If you notice the review indexes haven't been updated in a while, you'll know why....)

Sorry about the rant, but local councils are so unbelievably incompetent it beggars belief that they have the powers they do and get away with what they do.[/rant]

replicant

I got pinged once by a red light camera, I was went on green and then had to smash the breaks on for a cop car taking off from the side road (he must have been approaching without lights on and put them on at the last minute) anyway when i set off again as I now blocking the junction the camera went off and I never heard anything about it.

I can only assume -

1. It was a dud camera there to scare
or more likely
2. They saw the footage and let it go because of the circumstances, that said I was like you in terms of being willing to take it court. the fine wouldn't have bothered me so much as the three points!