Hundreds of drivers to get refund for driving through notorious bus gate after government error

Local, national, international and oddball news stories

Hundreds of drivers to get refund for driving through notorious bus gate after government error

Postby dutchman » Wed Jun 22, 2016 3:06 pm

The bus gate in Park Road was accidentally unauthorised by the Department for Transport during their last review of its legality

Image

Hundreds of motorists fined for driving through a city centre bus lane are in line for a refund because the traffic signs were not properly authorised.

A technical error by the Department for Transport (DfT) means around 1,780 drivers who were caught driving through the Park Road bus gate, near Coventry Railway Station, will be able to claim their fines back.

The fines were sent through the post and would have cost drivers £30 if they paid up in two weeks or £60 after that. Coventry City Council will refund drivers who ask for their money back and will in turn try to claim it back from the DfT.

In February, the Telegraph reported that in the previous 17 months the council had collected £528,863 from the bus lane with another £581,677 worth of fines outstanding.

According to Coventry City Council, the signs had been approved but an administration error during a review into the legality of the signs meant they became unauthorised for four months.

The council have now said that they will refund any motorist who they fined in ‘good faith’ between December 10, 2015, and April 21, 2016.

The signs, which had been in place since August 4, 2014, were given authorisation by the DfT because they were not on a list of pre-approved signs.

After receiving a complaint about the signs from a member of the public, they were reviewed, but during this process the wrong diagram was quoted.

A spokesman for Coventry City Council told the Telegraph that the signs were always compliant with DfT requirements.

The spokesman said: “The issue here is about the DfT’s authorisation, not about them being compliant.

“They were always compliant – it was a DfT paperwork error that meant they were not authorised – there was not any kind of issue with the sign.

“There was a mistake in this second approval, a technical mistake where the diagram number they quoted was not the same on the paperwork and the map.”

The signs once again became authorised on April 22 when the council’s sign was added to the DfT’s list of standard use signs in the Traffic Sign Regulations and General Direction 2016.

The council spokesman explained: “This meant there was no longer a need for the DfT to go back and fix the admin error.”

Council officials have said that motorists were fined in ‘good faith’ for driving through the bus gate, but they could receive a refund after this loophole came to light.

The spokesman said: “The fines were issued in good faith, but anyone that received a fine from us between December 10, 2015, and April 21, 2016, should appeal to us in writing and we will offer a full refund.”

The Department for Transport have been contacted for comment on their error.

In a separate issue, 70 drivers had already successfully appealed fines for driving through the Park Road bus gate after complaining that the diversions onto the ring road through Manor Road onto Stoney Road were not clearly signposted while work was taking place to redevelop the ring road junction for the Friargate project.

Image
User avatar
dutchman
Site Admin
 
Posts: 50286
Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:24 am
Location: Spon End

Re: Hundreds of drivers to get refund for driving through notorious bus gate after government error

Postby rebbonk » Wed Jun 22, 2016 4:54 pm

Those 'caught' hadn't ought apply for this. Names and addresses are known, their money ought be refunded automatically, along with a letter of apology. :fuming:
Of course it'll fit; you just need a bigger hammer.
User avatar
rebbonk
 
Posts: 65579
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2009 7:01 am

Re: Hundreds of drivers to get refund for driving through notorious bus gate after government error

Postby dutchman » Tue Jun 28, 2016 1:23 pm

Thousands more drivers to get refund for driving through bus lanes after sign blunder

Thousands more motorists caught driving through city centre bus lanes are entitled to a refund because of a blunder over road signs.

The technical error made by the Department for Transport (DfT) in authorising the new sign style, which saw 1,780 drivers caught driving through the Park Road bus gate, also covers bus gates in Warwick Row and Gosford Street.

Coventry City Council last week agreed to pay back fines racked up in Park Road but have now extended that to all three sites, meaning a total of 13,282 drivers are entitled to refunds totalling at least £398,460.

The authority is now launching an official investigation into how the error was made at central government level and how they can resolve the issue with the DfT - and hopefully claimed the cash back from government.

Figures show that 9,099 motorists were fined for driving down Warwick Row and 2,403 penalty charge notices (PCNs) issued at the bus gate at Gosford Street between December 10, 2015, and April 21, 2016.

Assuming the income of each fine was £30, instead of the higher rate of £60, then the council will need to repay £398,460.

Coun Jayne Innes, cabinet member for city services said: “Following a recent announcement concerning a Department of Transport error with signs at the Park Road bus gate, we can now confirm that bus gates at Greyfriars Green and Gosford Street are also affected.

“This is because all of the signs were covered by one approval.”

She added: “Between December 10, 2015, and April 21, 2016, we issued tickets at all three locations in good faith.

“But now it’s clear that the signs were not authorised due to an error made by the DfT.

“I have called for a full and urgent investigation into what went wrong and where we go from here.

“I am angry that we have ended up in this position because of a DfT error. Their intention was clear – they wanted to approve the signs – they intended to approve the signs. And they would have been approved had it not been for a typing error.

“I will be pushing for this to be resolved as soon as possible – this will mean working with the DfT. Part of this will be asking them to refund the money.”

In a separate issue, 70 drivers had already successfully appealed fines for driving through the Park Road bus gate after complaining that the diversions onto the ring road through Manor Road onto Stoney Road were not clearly signposted while work was taking place to redevelop the ring road junction for the Friargate project.

E-mail parkingenforcement@coventry.gov.uk to claim a refund on your fine.

Image
User avatar
dutchman
Site Admin
 
Posts: 50286
Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:24 am
Location: Spon End

Re: Hundreds of drivers to get refund for driving through notorious bus gate after government error

Postby rebbonk » Tue Jun 28, 2016 5:02 pm

I wonder if there's a case of malfeasance in public office to be answered here?
Of course it'll fit; you just need a bigger hammer.
User avatar
rebbonk
 
Posts: 65579
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2009 7:01 am

Re: Hundreds of drivers to get refund for driving through notorious bus gate after government error

Postby dutchman » Fri Sep 30, 2016 4:55 pm

Just 400 out of 13,000 drivers refunded in Coventry council bus gate fiasco

Image

Coventry City Council has refunded just three per cent of drivers who were wrongly fined for using city bus gates.

More than 13,000 drivers were caught driving through the bus gates – designated sections of road for buses and taxis only at Park Road, Greyfriars Green and Gosford Street – between between December 10, 2015 and April 21, 2016 and fined nearly £400,000 collectively by Coventry City Council.

But after it emerged earlier this year that the bus gates were wrongly sign-posted, the council agreed to refund each affected driver their £30 penalty fee (or higher £60 fee if it was not paid within 14 days).

However, to date the council has reimbursed just 400 of the 13,000 affected drivers – returning roughly £11,700 of the £398,460 owed to motorists.

Motorists who had been fined for using any of the three bus gates were told they could claim their refund by emailing or writing to the council’s parking enforcement team.

However, the Observer has learnt that other councils, who also had to issue refunds for unlawful bus gate or bus lane fines, had written individually to every affected motorist offering them their refunds.

York Council and Bath Council wrote to the 13,000 and 9,000 drivers, respectively, who they had wrongly fined – explaining the situation and advising them of their right to apply for a refund.

The decision was made by councillors who felt many motorists would miss out on their rightful reimbursements, despite publicity and coverage of the issue in the local press – simply sending the refund notices to the same address as they had already sent the motorists’ fines to.

In reponse to the Observer’s questions about what Coventry council was doing to ensure every affected motorist received their refund, a council spokesperson said: “We won’t be writing to everyone who received a penalty notice following an admin error by the Department for Transport.

“There has been lots of coverage in the local media about the bus gate in Quinton Road / Park Road and we have been clear that people can to apply to us in writing for a refund if they received a ticket between December 10, 2015 and April 21, 2016.

“Any penalty notices that were issued outside these dates are subject to the normal appeals process.”

Image
User avatar
dutchman
Site Admin
 
Posts: 50286
Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:24 am
Location: Spon End

Re: Hundreds of drivers to get refund for driving through notorious bus gate after government error

Postby rebbonk » Fri Sep 30, 2016 5:01 pm

CCC are a right shower. Keeping this money is nothing more than theft. :fuming: :fuming: :fuming:
Of course it'll fit; you just need a bigger hammer.
User avatar
rebbonk
 
Posts: 65579
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2009 7:01 am

Re: Hundreds of drivers to get refund for driving through notorious bus gate after government error

Postby dutchman » Fri Sep 30, 2016 8:32 pm

Coventry Tories hit out at council’s ‘unfair’ bus gate refund policy

CONSERVATIVE councillors in Coventry have said they are ‘appalled’ by the Labour-run Council’s failure to reimburse 13,000 drivers who were wrongly fined for driving through bus gates in the city.

To date, only 400 of the 13,000 motorists – just three per cent – have been refunded the £30 penalty fee (or higher £60 fee if it was not paid within 14 days) after it emerged earlier this year that the bus gates were wrongly sign-posted.

Tim Mayer, Tory councillor for Westwood, has hit out at the Council’s unwillingness to write to each motorist individually, making them aware of the refund they are due.

He argues the council should ‘do the right thing by hardworking taxpayers’ and be more proactive in giving people back their money.

Coun Mayer added: “Coventry Conservatives are pleased that the council agreed to refund each affected driver, but I have urged the council to change its policy.

“At the moment, they are being reactive rather than proactive and that is very unfair on those motorists who may not realise that they paid a fine they should never have received.”

Coun Mayer’s calls come after the Observer learnt that York and Bath Councils wrote to the 13,000 and 9,000 drivers, respectively, who they had wrongly fined for using bus gate or bus lanes – explaining the situation and advising them of their right to apply for a refund.

“I want our council to follow the example of Councils such as York and Bath to ensure that it writes to all effected drivers explaining the situation and advising them of their right to apply for a refund,” Coun Mayer explained.

“That the Council has so far returned only roughly £11,700 of the £398,460 owed to motorists is deeply unfair.”

Image
User avatar
dutchman
Site Admin
 
Posts: 50286
Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:24 am
Location: Spon End

Re: Hundreds of drivers to get refund for driving through notorious bus gate after government error

Postby rebbonk » Fri Sep 30, 2016 8:49 pm

“That the Council has so far returned only roughly £11,700 of the £398,460 owed to motorists is deeply unfair.”
I would suggest that it's criminal! :fuming: :fuming: :fuming:
Of course it'll fit; you just need a bigger hammer.
User avatar
rebbonk
 
Posts: 65579
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2009 7:01 am

Re: Hundreds of drivers to get refund for driving through notorious bus gate after government error

Postby dutchman » Tue Oct 11, 2016 8:16 pm

Coventry council forced to investigate ‘doctored’ legal bus gate documents

COVENTRY City Council has launched an official investigation into allegations that someone within the council doctored legal documents regarding controversial bus lane fines.

Council leader, Coun George Duggins, is meeting with the council’s monitoring officer to discuss claims that someone high up within the council amended the date on official Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) legal documents, obtained by the Coventry Observer, regarding the controversial Warwick Road bus gate.

If the allegations are upheld, it could result in thousands of motorists wrongly fined for using the bus gate getting their money back.

The claims have also led to a fallout among ruling Labour councillors, with Coun Rachel Lancaster sending THIS angry email to Coun John Mutton in the days before it was revealed 13,000 motorists were due refunds from illegal council bus gate fines.

The original Traffic Regulation Order for the Warwick Road bus gate was dated 23/9/13 – the same day as a Public Services Cabinet Meeting chaired by then public services cabinet member Coun Rachel Lancaster which discussed bus gates being installed.

Image

But when a complainant, Richard Heneghan, requested to see the original TRO document, the version he was sent by the council appeared to show the dates had been doctored – the hand-written date being changed from 23/9/13 to 23/9/15.

Image

However, there was no Public Services Cabinet Meeting to discuss bus gates on September 23, 2015.

Concerned Coventrian Mr Heneghan contacted the council to point out the discrepancy in dates – a fact he argues highlights a ‘cover-up’ over the legality of the bus gate.

Mr Heneghan believes someone in Coventry council changed the date to prevent him from uncovering the truth about decisions taken over the Warwick Road bus gate.

He believes the date was doctored to disguise the fact that the TRO made for the Warwick Road bus gate is ‘materially different’ to what the council initially advertised it to be to the public.

If this is the case, he argues the bus gate would be unlawful and could entitle all drivers previously fined for driving through it to a refund – potentially costing the council a fortune.

And while he welcomes the council’s investigation, Mr Heneghan has said he is concerned about a potential ‘whitewash’ of the findings.

Speaking exclusively to the Coventry Observer, he added: “Subsequently, I believe that such an investigation must be conducted by an external party.”

Responding to Mr Heneghan’s claims, cabinet member for city services Coun Jayne Innes said: “Following Mr Heneghan’s latest round of communications, an internal meeting is being arranged to look at these particular issues he raises.

“We won’t be making any further comment until this work has taken place.”

Image


Rotten to the core! :fuming:
User avatar
dutchman
Site Admin
 
Posts: 50286
Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:24 am
Location: Spon End

Re: Hundreds of drivers to get refund for driving through notorious bus gate after government error

Postby rebbonk » Tue Oct 11, 2016 8:24 pm

I sincerely hope that heads roll here. I'm now even more convinced that there's a case of malfeasance in public office to be answered.
Of course it'll fit; you just need a bigger hammer.
User avatar
rebbonk
 
Posts: 65579
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2009 7:01 am

Next

Return to News

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests

  • Ads