Bailiffs chase hundreds of motorists caught driving in bus lanes
HUNDREDS of motorists have been visited by bailiffs after refusing to pay £60 fines for driving in bus lanes.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council has issued 8,761 tickets since bringing in an £80,000 spy car to catch motorists driving along 10 bus lanes from October 2010.
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At least £196,000 has been raked in through fines from the 6,524 drivers who have paid up.
But the council is now using bailiffs to recover cash from those who have refused to pay for several months.
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At least 265 drivers have had their cases handed to bailiffs, who are delivering letters to home addresses threatening further action.
New figures show motorists are still using the 20-metre bus lane in Huntbach Street. More than 5,600 of the tickets issued have been on the Hanley road, which leads to car parks behind Marks & Spencer .
Shoppers have accused the council of making easy money on the popular shortcut as many motorists claim not to realise it is a bus lane.
The £60 fine is halved if paid within a fortnight of receiving the ticket.
Shopper Pam Harrison, aged 61, of Oversley Road, Fegg Hayes, has shunned Hanley since receiving a £60 fine for using Huntbach Street.
She said: "The bus lane spy car is just a cash cow for the council. I wouldn't go to Hanley again unless I had no choice.
"There are nicer places with cheaper parking only a little bit further away.
"The council is driving people out of Hanley and they are not listening to anyone."
The number of people being caught in Huntbach Street has fallen from an average of 544-per-month to 262-per-month since the issue was highlighted by The Sentinel in April.
A further 2,105 motorists have been fined for using the Stafford Street bus lane in Hanley.
The other tickets were issued in Albion Street, Hinde Street, Hulton Street, Old Hall Street and Quadrant Road, in Hanley; Christchurch Street, in Fenton; and Commerce Street and The Strand, in Longton.
Abdul Rauf, pictured, chairman of Stoke-on-Trent Hackney Carriage Association, who also operates Stoke-on-Trent Taxis, said: "The enforcement is good because if you allow everybody to use the lanes it will mean they are congested and buses and taxis get stuck in traffic."
The spy car was upgraded in the summer to allow it to automatically send fines to drivers parked illegally in residential streets and outside schools.
A council spokesman said the authority has incurred no costs in bringing in bailiffs.
He added: "There are 265 cases being processed by bailiffs in connection with outstanding bus lane penalty debts."
Comments
by lanternhead
Wednesday, April 03 2013, 1:09PM
“hanley is a no go area for us,only absolute necessity forces us to visit, much better places to shop locally .”
by Jobeeone
Monday, January 23 2012, 3:43PM
“And look on other sites. There is more to this than you believe.”
by Jobeeone
Monday, January 23 2012, 3:28PM
“How many bus lanes are there that extend for more than a bit? Frankly I am unsuprised by the amount of responses in such a short space (and time) from drivers who simply drove past others because they thought it was a race they did or didn't win at skoll.
We all know the law. We read it in a book called The Highway Code. You know the one that your mum helped you remember? We all know what will happen if we don't follow this books rules. There isn't a forgiving local authority employee looking down on us you know.
If it says 30, try and keep it down to 30. If you think that 30 is too slow then you are my friend!! Can't blame Johnny Long Shot for everything. Al A Wolfe Man!”
by stevenweiss
Sunday, January 22 2012, 7:26PM
“Well, it isn't particularly obvious that it's a bus lane (bus patch??) til you're almost over it. It's that small! Since I have already made up my mind that it is a money making project, I decided a long time ago to vote with my feet and stay clear of Hanley. I don't go there unless I absolutely have to. I daren't risk it. I've never had any form of ticket from Stoke Council, thank goodness, either parking or bus lane related. It isn't the people, it isn't the shops. It is the silly council and their 'couldn't care-less' attitude to their loyal citizens. The bus patch is simply another nail in the coffin as far as I'm concerned; along with silly traffic lights, silly pavement-based cycle lanes, silly speed cameras, silly road markings and silly planning ideas. Hanley isn't even pretty to look at. I suspect the bus patch will still be there even when buses no longer use the load!!! There, I've said it, got it off my chest, rant over. Now respect my views and try to refrain from deriding them. Let's hear YOUR views on the SUBJECT, not YOUR views on MY views.”
by E_D_Wivens
Saturday, January 21 2012, 5:05PM
“"New figures show motorists are still using the 20-metre bus lane in Huntbach Street. More than 5,600 of the tickets issued have been on the Hanley road, which leads to car parks behind Marks & Spencer ."
I certainly didn't, I thought that was how you were supposed to get to the car park! I couldn't see the roadmarkings because it was dark and pouring down and by the time I realised it was a bus lane I was already halfway down it.
Needless to say I paid the rotten fine but was not best pleased, and haven't been to Hanley since (not unless Mrs Wivens is driving.. ) Dreadful place anyway.”
by sma61n
Thursday, January 12 2012, 11:28AM
“Can Lungknot not see that if the council is doing it to get money from the motorist then the best thing to do is not to use the bus lane. Then the council will get no money. Eventually they will that you are right and scrap the bus lane. Of course most motorist are stupid enough to keep breaking the rules and making all the money the council could want. You are right use your brains.”
by Staffsknott
Saturday, January 07 2012, 2:08PM
“"many motorists claim not to realise it is a bus lane."
That made me laugh. The bus lanes are orange/brown with big writing on saying BUS LANE. The normal road is black. Simples!!!”
by lungknot
Tuesday, January 03 2012, 6:12AM
“@Scfcscfc08,
If you think that bailiffs, illegally threatening citizens is a great idea and reduces your own council tax in some way, you are either very stupid or extremely naive. Do you really think that Stoke Council are harrassing these people to keep your council tax down? Are you for real? When has Stoke Council ever done anything to benefit their electorate? Well, the short answer is.................never.”
by Redpitlad
Monday, January 02 2012, 9:13PM
“Spasser,
I obey the laws of the road,have been a life long cyclist/I own two bikes,
but unlike yourself I am not led like a sheep....! JUST because its THE law does not make it right and sensible to close roads off to the general motorist forcing them to make unnecessary detours creating further congestion.
I have been behind EMPTY first buses belching there diesel smog out...! they are dirty unreliable and expensive form of travel,
and yet again in today's edition they have announce fair increases at a time when we are in a full blown recession. yep your right pathetic.”
by scfcscfc08
Monday, January 02 2012, 1:44PM
“The mouths of big mouths quiver as they stand forlorn, trembling and whimpering as the bailiffs walk out of their houses with their 50" plasmas. I'm all for the 'I can do what I want' idiots lowering our taxes by paying the exclusive to idiots, idiot's tax.”