Appalled driver fined £195 for entering bus lane to let police van pass – and council insists he must pay
- The driver was shocked after CCTV footage showed that he had no other choice
- He drove on Forest Road in Wathamstow, East London, in September
A driver was fined nearly £200 by the council for entering a bus lane to allow a police van to pass through traffic.
Stephen James, 37, was charged £195 for entering the track along Forest Road in Wathamstow, East London on September 13, 2022.
Stephen entered the track because a police van was weaving through traffic trying to pass him and so needed more space.
CCTV footage shows that the van cannot pass while an oncoming motorist slows down.
CCTV footage shows Stephen James pulling into the bus lane to let the van pass him
Stephen was shocked after a letter from Waltham Forest Council appeared in the post containing a fine. This letter was the second because he had missed the first.
After hearing of a similar incident that ended in the fine being withdrawn, Stephen appealed but was shocked when it failed.
Stephen told the Subway: ‘When I got the second one I looked at the evidence and thought it was nonsense that I hadn’t seen the first one, but that I would have to appeal this when I look at the evidence.’
He said, ‘See [the police van] come and you know you have to do something to help in that situation.
“They wouldn’t be able to get by quickly, so action was needed.”
“I tried to do the right thing, and I was punished for it.”
A spokesman for the council said: ‘The rules in London are very clear about entering bus lanes, and it is the responsibility of drivers to know and follow them.
“We see the driver pull into the bus lane to allow the emergency vehicle to pass, before continuing along the length of the bus lane despite having the option to re-enter the road.
“If the driver had gone back on the road, they wouldn’t have been fined.”