Almost all Gateshead bus lane fines overturned at tribunal in past …
Almost every motorist caught driving in a Gateshead bus lane has had their fine overturned after taking it to a tribunal in the past three years, new figures have revealed.
Gateshead[1] Council has issued 103,163 bus lane fines to drivers since the start of 2020 – generating a huge income for the authority.
If motorists disagree with their penalty, they can challenge the decision with the council. However, if the fine is upheld, drivers can dispute their fine to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal – an independent body that will make an impartial decision on an appeal.
Since 2020, a total of 308 motorists stung in Gateshead for entering a bus lane took their case to tribunal. But figures obtained via a Freedom of Information request show 297 of those cases were not contested or lost by the council – representing a massive 96% success rate for drivers.
Sandra Dawson, 74, successfully took her £70 fine to the tribunal after she inadvertently veered into the Askew Road bus lane in April.
Sandra Dawson from Newcastle emerged victorious over a bus lane dispute in Gateshead. (Image: Craig Connor/ChronicleLive)
The bus lane has proved controversial among motorists since the cameras were switched on in October 2020. A staggering 38,145 drivers were caught in the Askew Road bus lane in the 12 months leading to December 2021 – worth more than £1m in fixed penalty notices.
Sandra first unsuccessfully appealed directly to the council saying she would struggle to pay the fine in a lump sum as she was retired and claimed the incident was accidental.
After learning of the recent statistics, Ms Dawson said: “I am pleased that people are able not to pay their fines but it raises questions. Why don’t they get rid of that bus lane? It causes them so much trouble.”
Hebburn man Malcolm McGuinness has said he is furious after being made aware of the latest remarkable figures.
The retiree was issued a penalty for driving in the South Shore Road bus lane and appealed to the council but took it no further as he took the fine at “face value”.
Mr McGuinness said: “It is enraging, I took it on face value that I had done something ‘wrong’. I did appeal to the council, I didn’t realise my mistake.
“It was rejected and, in my opinion, it was pointless to take it any further. However, almost everyone who takes it further gets their fine cancelled, so it’s worth taking it further.”
Councillor Ron Beadle, leader of the Gateshead Liberal Democrats, has called on the council to scrap the Askew Road bus lane altogether.
He said: “We believe the Council should tear it up the Askew Road scheme and start again. These figures appear to suggest that the council itself is frightened to defend it.”
A Gateshead Council spokesman said: “We are under a statutory duty to consider each case on its merits, but we will not comment on individual cases. We are very careful in how we operate bus lanes and cameras, to ensure we are legally compliant and being fair to drivers.
“As the data shows, over 99.6% of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) in Gateshead do not go to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, and we are proud of our record of operating fair, transparent enforcement procedures.”
References
- ^ Gateshead (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
- ^ Gateshead pensioners with vulnerable conditions expected to rise 27% by 2040 (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)