The Theiving TfL

[RogerH]

Today I received a PCN for driving in a bus lane. The date was 6/4/2026   Easter Monday, a bank holiday.

I was under the impression that bank holidays were exempt.

Sadly not.

Be warned these theiving swines will get you any way they can.

 

Roger

[harlequin]

Move up here  Roger not only do we not have bus lanes we don't have buses 

George 

[MilesA]

I sympathise Roger.

Busted for the same offence in Broxbourne on Boxing Day a few years ago when taking the family for a refreshing walk along the canal.

I NEVER drive in a bus lane now whatever the signage says!

Miles

[trchris]

1 hour ago, harlequin said:

Move up here  Roger not only do we not have bus lanes we don't have buses 

George 

We have tractor lanes instead and they can do as they like as well like letting the tailback pass ………..NOT

Chris

[RogerH]

Hi Miles

I have been as good as gold. I never drive in the bus lane without looking for the signage.  I know that the signage says quite clearly Moday-Friday

But how many services also say this but shut down on bank holkidays.

Theiving scum.

 

Roger

[RogerH]

How do I go about 'crowd funding' for my PCN charge.  

Roger

[harlequin]

My brother got photographed in a bus lane that was covered in snow, he had no idea it was there as the road markings were invisible but he still had to cough up 

George 

[TorontoTim]

2 hours ago, harlequin said:

My brother got photographed in a bus lane that was covered in snow, he had no idea it was there as the road markings were invisible but he still had to cough up 

George 

I don't know how the UK system works but can he not request a court hearing and just point to the photo?

[harlequin]

25 minutes ago, TorontoTim said:

I don't know how the UK system works but can he not request a court hearing and just point to the photo?

There were also signs on poles so no room to argue, but in London there are so many signs it's impossible to read them all, keep an eye on the kamikaze traffic and not get lost. Then there's the low emissions zones, congestion zones, and bike lanes.

I'm a Cockney and live a couple of hours north of London and haven't been there in the last 15 years, and if I don't go for another 15 years it will be to soon

George 

[Lebro]

I've been caught, & fined twice now, on both occasions I was trying my best to keep out of them.

Bob

[SuzanneH]

16 hours ago, RogerH said:

Today I received a PCN for driving in a bus lane. The date was 6/4/2026   Easter Monday, a bank holiday.

I was under the impression that bank holidays were exempt.

Sadly not.

Be warned these theiving swines will get you any way they can.

 

Roger

Roger, I have just remembered where we were going at such a strange time on Easter Monday……………………The Grapes Tandoori, had we gone to The Millenium Restaurant we would not have been near the bus lane at that junction. Sorry 😢 

Edited April 16 by SuzanneH

[roy53]

14 hours ago, harlequin said:

My brother got photographed in a bus lane that was covered in snow, he had no idea it was there as the road markings were invisible but he still had to cough up 

George 

Ouch

[john.r.davies]

You can appeal against this - the form you received should include the procedure.    What it doesn't tell you is that you can appeal against any decision the issuing authority makes.

I went into a bus lane, on a roundabout, because some twit wanted to cut in and take the same exit as I did.   Rather than contest, I used the bus lane, as he disappeared off much faster than the speed limit.  This was shown on the photos that came with the summons!    The County Council refused to acknowledge that, so I appealed to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal - https://www.trafficpenaltytribunal.gov.uk/ - which told the CC that they were wrong and quashed my fine!

Good luck!

John

[MilesA]

12 hours ago, harlequin said:

but in London there are so many signs it's impossible to read them all, keep an eye on the kamikaze traffic and not get lost. Then there's the low emissions zones, congestion zones, and bike lanes.

Absolutely correct. The amount of signage for the motorist in London is almost overwhelmingly distracting and creates a very uncertain driving environment. Much of the signage is duplicative and entirely unnecessary. For example, just look at speed signs for 20 mph. In my area they are painted on the road at short, regular intervals and supplemented by signs also at repeated at very short regular intervals. Complete overkill. Compare this to your average French town. Same restrictions, far fewer unnecessary signs. My most laughable example is a couple of signs announcing 'Adverse Camber' on a section of the Outer Circle of Regents Park. They are on a gentle bend and traffic is limited to 20mph. The camber shift is imperceptible. Risk of any adverse consequence to a driver is zero. Pretty distracting though. Visual pollution very high.

Rant over.

Miles

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

TfL have just told me I was driving my Citroen in East London and have to pay their invented pollution charge.   Issue I have is I was at my solicitors office at the time of the offence.   Plus the number plate in the alleged offence is partially obscured, meaning the robot has searched for the first vehicle number on record with any of the visible matching digits in that order.  That match being my car registration.   In the same set of photos as evidence of the offence sent to me is a view of the offender.   A Volkswagen Polo, not my Citroen.

I have appealed and contested the charge.

What I do know about TfL is that they take weeks to refund the automatic direct debit payment they take and they do it in the form of a cheque.   That sounds ok but the cheque has a square bar code on the front face and the auto cheque pay in at the hole  in the wall refuses it.   The bank counter staff can’t get their machine to read or accept the cheque either, so they must enter in manually.

Methinks TfL have a cunning plan to thieve from the innocent by sending almost non redeemable cheques for refunds, when they should have simply reversed the auto pay direct debit they took incorrectly in the first place.

 

Edited April 16 by BlueTR3A-5EKT

[john.r.davies]

Conversely, i was sent a fine for not paying the charge, when i knew I had.  To my embarassment, I found I had entered my vehicle's reg.no. incorrectly.  New to me is my only excuse.   I contacted TfL, and was forgiven!

They're not all bad and mad.

John

[Ian Vincent]

8 hours ago, BlueTR3A-5EKT said:

TfL have just told me I was driving my Citroen in East London and have to pay their invented pollution charge.   Issue I have is I was at my solicitors office at the time of the offence.   Plus the number plate in the alleged offence is partially obscured, meaning the robot has searched for the first vehicle number on record with any of the visible matching digits in that order.  That match being my car registration.   In the same set of photos as evidence of the offence sent to me is a view of the offender.   A Volkswagen Polo, not my Citroen.

I have appealed and contested the charge.

What I do know about TfL is that they take weeks to refund the automatic direct debit payment they take and they do it in the form of a cheque.   That sounds ok but the cheque has a square bar code on the front face and the auto cheque pay in at the hole  in the wall refuses it.   The bank counter staff can’t get their machine to read or accept the cheque either, so they must enter in manually.

Methinks TfL have a cunning plan to thieve from the innocent by sending almost non redeemable cheques for refunds, when they should have simply reversed the auto pay direct debit they took incorrectly in the first place.

 

I can pay cheques in using Internet banking. Just take a photo of it. 

Rgds Ian

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

2 minutes ago, Ian Vincent said:

I can pay cheques in using Internet banking. Just take a photo of it. 

Rgds Ian

Tried that.  The cheque was not a standard size.and the photo bank cheque system rejected the action asking me if I was disabled after the 5 th attempt 

[Ian Vincent]

1 hour ago, BlueTR3A-5EKT said:

Tried that.  The cheque was not a standard size.and the photo bank cheque system rejected the action asking me if I was disabled after the 5 th attempt 

Bummer!

[RogerH]

I had a parking fine down in Cornwall a few years back and I could only pay by postal order which incurred another charge in itself..
The do know what they are doing and it is criminal.

 

Roger