Stopping at Hounslow East bus stop

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Thu 3 Mar 2011 14:34
Stopping at Hounslow East bus stop - Mi16

Thread last year on this location which is now covered by CCTV enforcement and good source of income for Hounslow since many commuters are dropped off. Having been issued with FPN on 22/2/11, got notice on 2/3/11 and went back to check it out since I mistakenly thought stopping offences were red route and box junctions.

Found the statutory yellow sign had been turned away from the road to face the opposite direction and invisible to traffic on my carriageway, it was not parallel with and facing the roadway. You would have to stop and get out of the car to see if there was any restriction at that stop. When I then checked the online council CCTV images, it was in the same position and obviously had been like that between 22/2 and 2/3 and the CCTV operatives hadn't bothered verifying from the comfort of their console.

Moral: ALWAYS try and check out the venue of the alleged offence armed with a camera. Also check the integrity of the FPN against the legislation. Section 47 Traffic Management Act 2004 relates to "Duties relating to the location of unexpected apparatus" and has nothing to do with stopping at bus stops as alleged. Also issues around CCTV enforcment and signs.

Hope this is helpful to others, there was a time when police exercised discretion and grudging respect, but councils choose not to and see us as another cash cow.

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Thu 3 Mar 2011 19:24
Stopping at Hounslow East bus stop - LucyBC

Given that you state that this was a Fixed Penalty Notice issued on 22nd February 2011 with a notice by letter issued yesterday, 2nd March 2011, I assume this case has not yet been heard by the magistrates court -- which would be required for your acquittal and hence you are not off the hook yet - but are merely hopeful of being so.

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Fri 4 Mar 2011 08:29
Stopping at Hounslow East bus stop - Dwight Van Driver

Me thinks he has his FPN mixed up with PCN and Notice to Owner Lucy. Me also thinks Metpol have greaterv issues now than to issue parking tickets which is why system decriminalised to LA enforcement..

As Harry Hill would shout "FIGHT"

dvd

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Fri 4 Mar 2011 10:41
Stopping at Hounslow East bus stop - LucyBC

You may well be right.

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Sun 6 Mar 2011 12:16
Stopping at Hounslow East bus stop - Ben 10

Hounslow council have signage all over the borough that they are watching for traffic parking infringements as well as being for CCTV purposes.

I was caught last month in a loading bay outside a hardware suppliers and was duely sent a couple of photographs from the council with a request for £120, £60 if paid within 2 weeks. It was a PCN. So if anyone here strays into the London Borough of Hounslow, beware. They're watching you, and out to rake in as much money as they can.

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Tue 8 Mar 2011 20:30
Stopping at Hounslow East bus stop - Mi16

Quite right Ben, it's easy money for them and can be done from the comfort of a console. Having checked back it is a PCN from the council and not a FPN.

The really galling thing is the fact they could clearly see the defective signage on the lamp post, but so unskilled/untrained/unsupervised that no one noticed, or perhaps they did and decided not to use that frame on the notice letter which would have made the offence over 7 seconds rather than 3 seconds.

Will take this as far as I can and keep you posted.

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Wed 16 Mar 2011 16:39
Stopping at Hounslow East bus stop - Mi16

Standard rejection from Hounslow. Don't think they really read my submissions because they assure me the venue was visited and the signs and markings were correct despite photographic evidence to the contrary, even on their own CCTV images.

From what I can make out from their letter it seems you lose the £50 discount if you take up your right to go to the adjudicator which doesn't seem right, but then the whole parking/stopping issue seems another con where the concept of reasonable has gone out of the window in favour of revenue generation.

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Wed 16 Mar 2011 17:09
Stopping at Hounslow East bus stop - injection doc

"concept of reasonable has gone out of the window in favour of revenue generation."

doesnt that seem to apply to nearly all motoring offences !

Now if your a hooligan or a thug thats different ! you just get bail and do a runner !

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Thu 12 May 2011 13:34
Stopping at Hounslow East bus stop - Mi16

Appeal upheld. Adjudicator agreed timeplate was twisted and not visible:

"Having viewed the cctv clip sent which records a passenger alighting from ***** I have accepted the stopping plate is not visible enough for this particular penalty charge to stand."

Key issue I argued was the Dept of Transport Circular 02/2003 which gives guidance for Enforceement Authorities on the Traffic Signs Regulations General Directions 2002 (both on internet dft.gov.uk and legislation.gov.uk).

Paras 24-32 deal with bus stop claerways, but para 26 of the Circular states:

"...any bays marked out for bus stops or stands after the TSRDG 2002 have come into force will have to include the edge of the carriageway clearway marking shown in diagrams 1025.1, 1025.3 0r 1025.4 and be accompanioed by an upright sign to diagram 974 or 975 indicating that stopping by vehicles other than buses (or local buses) is prohibited."

AND was crucial, hope this helps others, Circular covers many other offences.

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Tue 13 Sep 2011 00:45
Stopping at Hounslow East bus stop - Nolano

Hi there,

I was wondering if you had posted the case number as those mooks at Hounslow are trying to take my hard earned cash.

I dropped my girlfriend off at the bus stop outside Hounslow East in less than a minute and wham....I get a letter through the post demanding I pay £100.

The onion here is that the signs were facing the wrong way. The Council have sent me images that clearly show the bus stop plate facing the pedstrians and not the road. Meaning unless you got out of your car you would not see it.

I reckon if I tell the official that there has already been a test case which was succesful they would simply accept my appeal.

Thanks,

Paul

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Tue 13 Sep 2011 14:14
Stopping at Hounslow East bus stop - cockle {P}

Just goes to show where Hounslow's priorities lay.

Six months after the OP pointed out to them that the plate was facing the wrong way and four months after he won his appeal they have failed to send someone along to rectify the situation.

I wonder how many others they have ticketed there and who have just paid up without a murmur.

Most councils are just as bad.

In Southend they have re-vamped the area in the town centre, taken out a roundabout and turned the junction into a traffic light controlled T junction. Part of this project entailed the speed limit on the junction being reduced to 30 from 40. In every direction where the limit is reduced you pass through 30 signs to signify the change from 40 but as you approach from the west down the A13 they have left the old 40 signs in place where it went from 30 to 40 as you entered the dual carriageway. Travelling from that direction the next sign you see is one telling you it is going back to 40 as you enter the underpass or becomes dual carriageway on the A127. All it needs is for the council to send someone to take down the offending signs, despite me calling them no less than five times since the new junction was completed at the end of March they have so far failed to take any action......

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Wed 14 Sep 2011 04:05
Stopping at Hounslow East bus stop - 1litregolfeater

In town, it is probably safest to let passengers off without parking, eg at the lights. They have spies everywhere.

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